Influence of Blend Composition and Compatibilizer on Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Recycled HDPE/PET Blends

Ruey Shan Chen^*, Mohd Hafizuddin Ab Ghani, Mohd Nazry Salleh, Sahrim Ahmad, Sinyee Gan

School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia.

DOI: 10.4236/msa.2014.513096                

Abstract

Polymer blends based on recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) and recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) with and without ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (E-GMA) as compatibilizer were fabricated in a co-rotating twin screw extruder. The effects of rPET and compatibilizer content on the mechanical properties and morphological stability of rHDPE-rich blends were investigated. The rHDPE/rPET (75/25 wt/wt) blend compatibilized with 5 php (per 100 part of polymer) E-GMA showed an enhancement of about 7% - 26% in tensile properties and flexural strength as compared with those of the neat rHDPE. The strain at break showed a decreasing trend as the rPET content increased. The addition of E-GMA to the rHDPE/rPET blends was found to recover the blend toughness as well as improving the compatibility between HDPE and PET. In this study, the highest strain at break was obtained for the rHDPE/rPET blends at 75/25 (wt/wt) composition with E-GMA content of 5 php. FTIR and SEM analysis of the compatibilized blends confirmed the chemical interaction and improved interfacial bonding between the two phases.

Keywords

Recycled Polymer Blend, Tensile Properties, Flexural Properties, Morphology

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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