Rheological and mechanical properties of compatibilized polystyrene/ethylene vinyl acetate blends

In this study, a blend of polystyrene (PS)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) (PS/EVA, 90 : 10 wt %) was compatibilized with three different block copolymers, in which their end blocks were compatible with either styrene or EVA. The compatibilized blends with different compositions were prepared using a twin‐screw extruder and injection molded into the required test specimens. Mechanical properties of the blends, such as tensile properties and Charpy impact strength, morphology of tensile fractured surfaces, rheological properties, and thermal properties, were investigated. The results show that the interaction between the dispersed and continuous phase can be improved by the addition of a compatibilizer. Appreciable improvement in the impact strength of the blend with 15 wt % of compatibilizer C (polystyrene‐block‐polybutadiene) was observed. Its mechanical properties are comparable to those of the commercial high‐impact polystyrene, STYRON 470. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2071–2082, 2004     

Film processability and properties of polycaprolactone/thermoplastic starch blends

In this work, the processing and properties of blown films prepared from thermoplastic corn starch (TPS) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were studied, in particular at high TPS content. The influence of processing parameters and material moisture content on the tensile properties was also studied. The results show that final film properties are mainly controlled by the draw ratio, blow‐up ratio and PCL concentration in the blends. The results also show that PCL/TPS films are less hydrophilic as PCL content increases. Finally, it was found that a very narrow processing window exists for this blend. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Mechanical properties of ethylene–vinyl acetate/polystyrene blends studied by in situ polymerization

This study examined ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA)‐toughened polystyrene (PS). EVA is well‐known to be incompatible with PS; thus, the PS graft to the EVA backbone (EVA‐g‐PS) was used as a compatibilizer and provided good adhesion at the interface of PS and EVA. In addition, the mechanical properties and impact resistance of the PS matrix were obviously improved by EVA‐g‐PS and by EVA itself. Meanwhile, differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the grafted PS chain influenced the crystallization of EVA; for example, the melting temperature, the crystallization temperature, and the percentage crystallinity related to EVA were reduced. Moreover, the addition of 10% EVA increased the impact strength by a factor of five but reduced the modulus by the same factor. Additionally, a lower number‐average molecular weight EVA delayed phase inversion and resulted in poor mechanical properties. A fracture surface photograph revealed that the major mechanism of EVA‐toughened PS was craze and local matrix deformation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 699–705, 2003     

Influence of the molecular weight of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers on the flow and mechanical properties of uncompatibilized polystyrene/ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer blends

Rubber‐toughened polystyrene (PS) has been extensively studied and is a well‐established material. However, the use of thermoplastic elastomers to toughen PS is new and not well understood. In this study, three types of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers with the same vinyl acetate (VA) content (27.2–28.8 wt %) but with different melt flow indexes (MFI; g (10 min)⁻¹) of 365–440 (Elvax 210), 38.0–48.0 (Elvax 240) and 2.6–3.4 (Elvax 265) were used as impact modifiers for PS. The uncompatibilized blend systems at different compositions were prepared using a twin‐screw extruder and injection moulding to produce the required test pieces. The viscosity of the dispersed phase (EVA) has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the blends. Rheological studies show that uncompatibilized PS/EVA265 blends exhibit some degree of compatibility when the amount of EVA265 added is below 30 wt %. These results indicate that EVA265 with the lowest melt flow index or highest molecular weight is the most effective impact modifier for PS. The mechanism for such behaviour is still unclear. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Cure characteristics,morphology, mechanical properties,and aging characteristics of silicone rubber/ethylene vinyl acetate blends

Silicone rubber/ethylene vinyl acetate (SR/EVA) rubber mixes with different ratios were prepared by using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and benzoyl peroxide (BP) as curing agents. The vulcanization characteristics such as cure kinetics, activation energy, and cure rate of the blends were analyzed. The effects of blend ratio and curing agents on the mechanical properties such as stress–strain behavior, tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, relative volume loss, hardness, flex crack resistance, and density of the cured blends have been investigated. Almost all the mechanical properties have been found to be increased with increase in EVA content in the blends particularly in DCP‐cured systems. The increment in mechanical properties of the blends with higher EVA content has been explained in terms of the morphology of the blends, attested by scanning electron micrographs. Attempts have been made to compare the experimental results, from the evaluation of mechanical properties, with relevant theoretical models. The aging characteristics of the cured blends were also investigated and found that both the DCP‐ and BP‐cured blends have excellent water and thermal resistance. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1069–1082, 2006     

Structure and mechanical properties of cellulose derivatives/soy protein isolate blends

Biodegradable and biocompatible composites based on soy protein isolate (SPI) and various cellulose derivatives have been prepared, and the dependence of structures and mechanical properties on the content and species of cellulose derivatives for the composites were investigated by X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscope, and tensile test. The selected cellulose derivatives, such as methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), and hydroxypropyl cellulose, were miscible with SPI when the content of cellulose derivatives was low, and then the isolated crystalline domains, shown as the structures of network and great aggregate, formed with an increase of cellulose derivative content. The miscible blends could produce the higher strength, and even result in the simultaneous enhancement of strength and elongation for the HEC/SPI and MC/SPI blends. Meanwhile, the moderate content of great MC domains also reinforced the materials. However, the damage of original ordered structure in SPI gave the decreased modulus. Since all the components, i.e., cellulose derivatives and soy protein, are biocompatible, the resultant composites are not only used as environment‐friendly material, but the biomedical application can be expected, especially for the tissue engineering scaffold. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation and characterization of Fe‐Tetranitro phthalocyanine/polyurethane blends

In this article, Fe‐Tetranitro phthalocyanine (Fe‐TNPc)/polyurethane (PU) blends were prepared by solution blending. The mechanical properties of the samples were studied by tensile tests. The results showed that the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the samples increased with increasing Fe‐TNPc content. The improved mechanical properties for the samples containing Fe‐TNPc was attributed to the increased microphase separation degree of PU, which was further investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and Fourier transform infrared analysis. The lower T_g of the soft segments and the higher T_g of the hard segments for the samples containing Fe‐TNPc indicated an increase of microphase separation degree of PU. The increased hydrogen bonded carbonyl groups in the samples with increasing Fe‐TNPc content also proved the conclusion. Quantitative evaluation of the interaction between Fe‐TNPc and PU was also investigated by analyzing the physical crosslinking density of the samples. The results indicated that the physical crosslinking density of the samples increased with increasing Fe‐TNPc content. The antibacterial properties of the samples were investigated. The results showed that the percentage bacterial inactivation toward S. aureus and E. coli of the samples were 98.9% and 90.9%, respectively, when Fe‐TNPc was added to 1%. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41284.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of uncrosslinked and chemically crosslinked polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer blends

Uncrosslinked and chemically crosslinked binary blends of low‐ and high‐density polyethylene (PE), with ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), were prepared by a melt‐mixing process using 0–3 wt % tert‐butyl cumyl peroxide (BCUP). The uncrosslinked blends revealed two distinct unchanged melting peaks corresponding to the individual components of the blends, but with a reduced overall degree of crystallinity. The crosslinking further reduced crystallinity, but enhanced compatibility between EVA and polyethylene, with LDPE being more compatible than HDPE. Blended with 20 wt % EVA, the EVA melting peak was almost disappeared after the addition of BCUP, and only the corresponding PE melting point was observed at a lowered temperature. But blended with 40% EVA, two peaks still existed with a slight shift toward lower temperatures. Changes of mechanical properties with blending ratio, crosslinking, and temperature had been dominated by the extent of crystallinity, crosslinking degree, and morphology of the blend. A good correlation was observed between elongation‐at‐break and morphological properties. The blends with higher level of compatibility showed less deviation from the additive rule of mixtures. The deviation became more pronounced for HDPE/EVA blends in the phase inversion region, while an opposite trend was observed for LDPE/EVA blends with co‐continuous morphology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3261–3270, 2007     

Mechanical and aging properties of cross‐linked ethylene propylene diene rubber / styrene butadiene rubber blends

The mechanical properties and aging characteristics of blends of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) were investigated with special reference to the effect of blend ratio and cross‐linking systems. Among the blends, the one with 80/20 EPDM/SBR has been found to exhibit the highest tensile, tear, and abrasion properties at ambient temperature. The observed changes in the mechanical properties of the blends have been correlated with the phase morphology, as attested by scanning electron micrographs (SEMs). The effects of three different cure systems, namely, sulfur (S), dicumyl peroxide (DCP), and a mixed system consisting of sulfur and peroxide (mixed) on the blend properties also were studied. The stress‐strain behavior, tensile strength, elongation at break, and tear strength of the blends were found to be better for the mixed system. The influence of fillers such as high‐abrasion furnace (HAF) black, general‐purpose furnace (GPF) black, silica, and clay on the mechanical properties of 90/10 EPDM/SBR blend was examined. The ozone and water aging studies also were conducted on the sulfur cured blends, to supplement the results from the mechanical properties investigation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2606–2621, 2004     

Use of a sodium ionomer as a compatibilizer in polypropylene/high‐barrier ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer blends: The processability of the blends and their physical properties

The effect of a sodium ionomer (ion.Na⁺) on the compatibility of polypropylene (PP)/high‐barrier ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) blends was studied in terms of the thermal, mechanical, and optical properties and morphology. The rheological behavior, tensile tests, and morphology of the binary blends showed that the miscibility of EVOH with PP was very poor. The miscibility of the polymers improved with the ionomer addition. In general, the ion.Na⁺ concentration did not alter the thermal behavior of the blends, but it did improve the ductility of the injection‐molded specimens. Scanning electron micrographs displayed better adhesion between the PP and EVOH phases in the samples with the ionomer. The mechanical improvement was better in the film samples than in the injection‐molded samples. A 90/10 (w/w) PP/EVOH film with 5% ion.Na⁺ and an 80/20 (w/w) PP/EVOH film with 10% ion.Na⁺ presented better global properties than the other blends studied. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1763–1770, 2004     

Cocontinuous morphologies in polystyrene/ethylene–vinyl acetate blends: The influence of the processing temperature

The influence of the compression‐molding temperature on the range of cocontinuity in polystyrene (PS)/ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer blends was studied. The blends presented a broad range of cocontinuity when compression‐molded at 160°C, and they became narrower when compression‐molded at higher temperatures. A coarsening effect was observed in PS/EVA (60:40 vol %) blends upon compression molding at higher temperature with an increase in the phase size of the cocontinuous structure. Concerning PS/EVA (40:60 vol %) blends, an increase in the mixing and molding temperatures resulted in a change from a cocontinuous morphology to a droplet–matrix morphology. This effect was observed by selective extraction experiments and scanning electron microscopy. The changes in the morphology with the molding conditions affected the storage modulus. An increase in the storage modulus in blends compression‐molded at 160°C was observed as a result of dual‐phase continuity. An EVA copolymer with a higher vinyl acetate content (28 wt %) and a higher melt‐flow index resulted in blends with a broader range of cocontinuity. This effect was more pronounced in blends with lower amounts of PS, that is, when EVA formed the matrix. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 386–398, 2003     

Curing behavior and thermal mechanical properties of cyanate ester blends

Cyanate esters are a class of important thermally resistant polymers. To tailor their processability and thermomechanical properties, a series of cyanate ester blends based on a trifunctional novolac cyanate ester (HF‐5), a difunctional bisphenol E cyanate ester (HF‐9), and a reactive catalyst [2,2′‐diallyl bisphenol A (DBA)] were formulated. The effect of the blend composition on the rheology and curing behavior of these cyanate ester blends and the corresponding thermal and mechanical properties of the cured cyanate ester blends was studied. The results showed that HF‐5 contributed to good mechanical property retention at high temperatures because of its trifunctionality, whereas HF‐9 imparted processability by reducing the viscosity and extending the pot life of the formulated cyanate ester blends at the processing temperature. On the basis of the results, an optimal cyanate ester blend suitable for resin transfer molding was determined: the HF‐5/HF‐9/DBA weight ratio of 80 : 15 : 5 exhibited good processability and thermomechanical properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4284–4290, 2006     

Study on the morphology and properties of metallocene polyethylene and ethylene/vinyl acetate blends

Two commercial polymer materials, metallocene linear low density polyethylene (m‐LLDPE) and ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) have been used to form binary blends of various compositions. The mechanical properties, morphology, rheological behavior, dynamic mechanical properties, and crystallization of m‐LLDPE/EVA blends were investigated. It was found that with the addition of EVA, the fluidity and processability of m‐LLDPE were significantly improved, and the introduction of polar groups in this system showed no significant changes in mechanical properties at lower EVA content. As verified by morphology observation and differential scanning calorimetry analysis, miscible blends were formed within certain weight ratios. Dynamic mechanical property studies showed that flexibility of the blends was enhanced in comparion with pure m‐LLDPE, where the peak value of loss modulus shifted to lower temperature and its intensity was enhanced as EVA content increased, indicating the existence of more amorphous regions in the blends. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 905–910, 2004     

Heat‐sealing properties of soy protein isolate/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend films: Effect of the heat‐sealing temperature

To promote the heat‐sealing properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) films applied in the packaging field, we mixed a synthetic polymer of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with SPI to fabricate blend films by a solution‐casting method in this study. To clarify the relationship between the heat‐sealing properties and the heat‐sealing temperature, strength, melting process, crystalline structure, and microstructure, variations of the heat‐sealing parts of the films were evaluated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The test results showed that both the PVA and glycerol contents greatly affected the melting behavior and heat of fusion of the SPI/PVA blends; these blend films had a higher melting temperature than the pure SPI films. The peel strength and tensile strength tests indicated that the long molecular chain of PVA had a main function of enhancing the mechanical properties above the melting temperature. With increasing heat‐sealing temperature, all of the mechanical properties were affected by the microstructure of the interface between the laminated films including the chain entanglement, crystallization, and recrystallization. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Structure and properties of polypropylene/high‐density polyethylene blends by solid equal channel angular extrusion

The solid equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process on polypropylene (PP)/high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) blends was carried out. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the sample structures. Results showed that ECAE process could make PP/HDPE blends to produce orientation structure. Impact performance of ECAE‐PP/HDPE samples after ECAE process improved remarkably, especially for ECAE‐PP/HDPE (90/10)‐O whose impact strength reached 91.91 kJ/m², 18.1 times higher than that of pure PP and 11.2 times higher than that of PP/HDPE (90/10). The mechanism of enhancing between HDPE and PP was discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39759.     

Film formation from pigmented latex systems: Mechanical and surface properties of ground calcium carbonate/functionalized poly(n‐butyl methacrylate‐co‐n‐butyl acrylate) latex blend films

The mechanical and surface properties of films prepared from model latex/pigment blends were studied using tensile tests, surface gloss measurements, and atomic force microscopy. Functionalized poly(n‐butyl methacrylate‐co‐n‐butyl acrylate) [P(BMA/BA)] and ground calcium carbonate (GCC) were used as latex and extender pigment particles, respectively. The critical pigment volume concentration of this pigment/latex blend system was found to be between 50 and 60 vol % as determined by surface gloss measurement and tensile testing of the blend films. As the pigment volume concentration increased in the blends, the Young's modulus of the films increased. Nielsen's equations were found to fit the experimental data very well. When the surface coverage of carboxyl groups on the latex particles was increased, the yield strength and Young's modulus of the films both increased, indicating better adhesion at the interfaces between the GCC and latex particles. When the carboxyl groups were neutralized during the film formation process, regions with reduced chain mobility were formed. These regions acted as a filler to improve the modulus of the copolymer matrix and the modulus of the resulting films. The carboxyl groups on the latex particle surfaces increased the surface smoothness of the films as determined by surface gloss measurement. When the initial stabilizer coverage of the latex particles was increased, the mechanical strength of the resulting films increased. At the same time, rougher film surfaces also were observed because of the migration of the stabilizer to the surface during film formation. With smaller‐sized latex particles, the pigment/latex blends had higher yield strength and Young's modulus. Higher film formation temperatures strengthen the resulting films and also influence their surface morphology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4550–4560, 2006     

Dynamic mechanical behavior of high‐density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer blends: The effects of the blend ratio,reactive compatibilization,and dynamic vulcanization

The effects of the blend ratio, reactive compatibilization, and dynamic vulcanization on the dynamic mechanical properties of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blends have been analyzed at different temperatures. The storage modulus of the blend decreases with an increase in the EVA content. The loss factor curve shows two peaks, corresponding to the transitions of HDPE and EVA, indicating the incompatibility of the blend system. Attempts have been made to correlate the observed viscoelastic properties of the blends with the blend morphology. Various composite models have been used to predict the dynamic mechanical data. The experimental values are close to those of the Halpin–Tsai model above 50 wt % EVA and close to those of the Coran model up to 50 wt % EVA in the blend. For the Takayanagi model, the theoretical value is in good agreement with the experimental value for a 70/30 HDPE/EVA blend. The area under the loss modulus/temperature curve (LA) has been analyzed with the integration method from the experimental curve and has been compared with that obtained from group contribution analysis. The LA values calculated with group contribution analysis are lower than those calculated with the integration method. The addition of a maleic‐modified polyethylene compatibilizer increases the storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss factor values of the system, and this is due to the finer dispersion of the EVA domains in the HDPE matrix upon compatibilization. For 70/30 and 50/50 blends, the addition of a maleic‐modified polyethylene compatibilizer shifts the relaxation temperature of both HDPE and EVA to a lower temperature, and this indicates increased interdiffusion of the two phases at the interface upon compatibilization. However, for a 30/70 HDPE/EVA blend, the addition of a compatibilizer does not change the relaxation temperature, and this may be due to the cocontinuous morphology of the blends. The dynamic vulcanization of the EVA phase with dicumyl peroxide results in an increase in both the storage and loss moduli of the blends. A significant increase in the relaxation temperature of EVA and a broadening of the relaxation peaks occur during dynamic vulcanization, and this indicates the increased interaction between the two phases. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 2083–2099, 2003     

Mechanical and morphological characterization of starch/zein blends plasticized with glycerol

Blends of starch and zein plasticized with glycerol were prepared by melting in a batch mixer at 160°C. Glycerol was used as plasticizer in contents ranging from 20 to 40 wt % with respect to the starch/zein matrix. These blends were characterized by mechanical tests, dynamic mechanical analysis, and optical microscopy. In tensile tests, the Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength increased with increasing zein content for all compositions, whereas elongation at break decreased sharply with increasing zein content up to 20%, and it remained nearly constant at higher contents of zein, which increased the stiffness of the blends. On the other hand, increase in the glycerol content caused a decrease in mechanical resistance of the blends. Storage modulus increased with increasing zein content and the tan δ curves showed that the blends exhibited two distinct glass transitions, one for each component, indicating a two‐phase system, confirming the morphological evidence of micrographs that displayed two separate phases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4133–4139, 2006     

Tensile properties of thermoplastic starch‐PVB blends

Blends of thermoplastic starch and recycled polyvinylbutyral from automotive windscreens were investigated. Mechanically compatible blends are formed at low to intermediate starch content. However, scanning electron microscopy and dynamic‐mechanical analysis revealed a phase‐separated nature for all blend compositions investigated. Tensile properties are negatively affected by aging in a high humidity environment and they deteriorate rapidly when the samples are soaked in water. Synergistic property enhancement was observed for a compound containing 22% thermoplastic starch. It features a higher tensile strength, shows better water resistance, and is significantly less affected by aging. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 1751–1755, 2006     

Films made from poly(vinyl alcohol‐co‐ethylene) and soluble biopolymers isolated from municipal biowaste

Blends were obtained from poly(vinyl alcohol‐co‐ethylene) and water‐soluble biopolymers isolated from the alkaline hydrolysate of two materials sampled from an urban waste treatment plant: that is, an anaerobic fermentation digestate and a compost. The digestate biopolymers contained more lipophilic and aliphatic C and less acidic functional groups than the compost biopolymers. Evidence was obtained for a condensation reaction occurring between the biopolymers and the synthetic polymer. The thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of the blends were studied. Films containing a low concentration (ca. 6–7%) of biopolymers exhibited up to three times higher yield strength than the neat synthetic polymer. The films' properties were found to be dependent on the concentration and nature of the biopolymers. The results offer a scope for investigating biopolymers sourced from other biowastes and for a better understanding of the reasons for the observed effects and exploiting their full potential for modifying or replacing synthetic polymers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41359.