Studies on mechanical and thermal properties of ternary blends of polyethylenes. I

Six film samples of varying compositions of linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), 10–35 wt %, and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE), 40–65 wt %, having a fixed percentage of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) at 25 wt % were extruded by melt blending in a single‐screw extruder (L/D ratio = 20 : 1) of uniform thickness of 2 mil. The tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength were found to increase up to 60 wt % HDPE addition, starting from 40 wt % HDPE, in the blends and then decreased. The blend sample B‐500 was found to be more thermally stable than its counterparts. The appearance of a single peak beyond 45 wt % HDPE content in the blend in dynamic DSC scans showed the formation of miscible blend systems and this was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopic analysis. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1691–1698, 2005     

Detailed Molecular Structure Modeling – A Path Forward to Designing Application Properties of ldPE

Summary: This paper describes a step on the ambitious aim to “design” application properties of ldPE by first simulating the detailed molecular structure of a high‐pressure tubular reactor product. The reactor of a certain configuration produces under well‐defined operating conditions. The next step is to correlate the structure with the application properties. Finally, the sequence will be reversed in order to deduce the operating conditions, which lead to the desired product quality. Two‐dimensional distributions, in molecular weight and branching frequency, as well a two compartment models with a core and a shell stream were simulated and compared with experimental results. Therefore, CFD simulations were carried out to discretize the reaction medium. Samples were taken from both pilot and commercial plants. The TREF‐SEC analytical method was successfully applied in order to measure the microscopic structure of the material. The tremendous numerical problems were solved with the help of the software PREDICI .

Detailed MWD for a pilot scale reactor product.     

Scale‐Free Power‐Law Distribution of Emulsion‐Polymerized Branched Polymers: Power Exponent of the Molecular Weight Distribution

Summary: The molecular weight distribution (MWD), formed in emulsion polymerization that involves the polymer transfer reaction during Interval II, may approach the power‐law distribution as polymerization proceeds. The power exponent, α, of the weight fraction distribution W(M) = M^?α conforms to the relationship, α = 1/P_b, where P_b is the probability that the chain end is connected to a backbone chain. The MWD of emulsion‐polymerized polyethylene reported in literature agrees reasonably well with the relationship, W(M) = M^?α with α = 1/P_b. This simple relationship could be used to estimate the P_b value from the MWD data, possibly leading to determining the polymer transfer constant under well‐designed experimental conditions. Because α > 1, the number‐average MW always approaches a finite value, but the weight‐ and higher order‐averages of MWD may continue to increase as the particle grows without limit depending on the magnitude of P_b. The power‐law distributions are self‐similar, possessing the nature of fractals and lacking a characteristic scale. The i‐th moment of the MWD for the present reaction system continues to increase without limit during Interval II for P_b ≥ 1/i.

Molecular weight distribution of the emulsion‐polymerized polyethylene.     

Comparison of Olefin Polymerization Processes with Metallocene Catalysts

Summary: Solution and gas phase processes of the polymerization of ethene are compared using new types of pentalenyl bridged ansa‐metallocenes such as [Me₃Pen(Flu)]ZrCl₂. As of the bridge, the catalyst system is remarkable thermostable up to 105 °C and a deactivation of the metallocene on the silica support can be suppressed. Compared to the non‐supported catalyst in a solution process, the application of the heterogenized system in a gas phase process leads to a decrease in activities while molar masses of the polyethenes are similar. Due to a higher degree of short chain branches of 20–30 per 1 000 carbon atoms instead of 10–17, the melting temperatures are 10 °C lower than those for polymers obtained in the solution process.

Basic structure of the here used pentalenyl bridged ansa‐metallocenes.     

几种新型塑料管材在地暖系统中的应用比较

本文通过地暖系统中对管材基本要求的论述。分析比较了几种新型管材的特性,同时也指出了这几种新型管材在工程中的应用特点。     

Effect of cocatalysts on ethylene polymerization with fluorinated bisphenoxyimine titanium as a catalyst

In this study, we examined various alkylaluminums, including triethylaluminum (TEA), triisobutylaluminum (TIBA), and diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC), as cocatalysts for the activation of ethylene polymerizations in the presence of a fluorinated Fujita group invented titanium (FI‐Ti) catalyst, bis[N‐(3‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluoroanilinato] titanium(IV) dichloride (complex 1 ). DEAC, because of the strong Lewis acidity, was an efficient cocatalyst for activating complex 1 for the ethylene polymerizations, whereas TEA and TIBA as cocatalysts could hardly polymerize ethylene. The effects of the polymerization temperature and Al/Ti molar ratio on the formation of active species, properties, and molecular weight of the resulting polyethylene were investigated. In the complex 1 /DEAC catalyst system, the oxidation states of Ti active species were determined by electron paramagnetic resonance. The results demonstrated that Ti(IV) active species were inclined to polymerize ethylene and yielded high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene. Comparatively, Ti(III) active species resulted from the reduction of Ti(IV) by DEAC and afforded oligomers. Moreover, the bigger steric bulk for the cocatalysts was necessary to achieve ethylene living polymerization with the fluorinated FI‐Ti catalyst. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Pineapple leaf fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites: Effects of fiber length and fiber content on their characteristics

Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) was used as a reinforcement in polyolefins. Polypropylene (PP) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) composites with different fiber lengths (long and short fibers) and fiber contents (0–25%) were prepared and characterized. The results showed that the tensile strength of the composites increased when the PALF contents were increased. It was observed that the composites containing long fiber PALF were stronger than the short fiber composites as determined by greater tensile strength. An SEM study on the tensile fractured surface confirmed the homogeneous dispersion of the long fibers in the polymer matrixes better than dispersion of the short fibers. The unidirectional arrangement of the long fibers provided good interfacial bonding between the PALF and polymer which was a crucial factor in achieving high strength composites. Reduction in crystallinity of the composites, as evident from XRD and DSC studies suggested that the reinforcing effect of PALF played an important role in enhancing their mechanical strength. From the rule of mixtures, the stress efficiency factors of the composite strength could be calculated. The stress efficiency factors of LDPE were greater than those of PP. This would possibly explain why the high modulus fiber (PALF) had better load transfers to the ductile matrix of LDPE than the brittle matrix of PP. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

LLDPE-g-GMA对PA66/PE性能影响的研究

研究了LLDPE—g—GMA(甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯)对PA66／PE相容性的影响。结果表明LLDPE-g-GMA是PA66／PE合金良好的反应型增容剂，对于PA66／PE合金，LLDPE—g-GMA的加入使合金的拉伸强度、弯曲强度、Izod缺口冲击强度有明显提高。但刚性和耐热性略有降低，并且DMA谱图证实了LLDPE—g-GMA对PA66／PE的反应增容作用，计算出了PA66／PE玻璃化转变活化能。     

聚乙烯/粘土纳米复合材料燃烧性能研究

使用锥形量热计、热重分析仪对聚乙烯(PE)／粘土纳米复合材料的燃烧性能进行了研究。结果表明，有机改性纳米粘土对PE燃烧性能有较大影响，随眷纳米粘土合量的增加，PE的热分解速率和最大热释放速率都明显下降，这对材料应用中的火灾安全性具有重要意义。