pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S08 - Polymer blends
Keynote Presentation
 
 

Transversal molecular orientation in an extruded sheet of polypropylene/rubber blend

Yamaguchi Masayuki (1)*

(1) Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology - Ishikawa - Japan

The novel polymer blend with phase separation, in which the deformation direction of dispersed droplets is perpendicular to the molecular orientation of a matrix, was prepared using an extruded sheet composed of isotactic polypropylene (PP) and rubbery ethylene/butene-1 copolymer (EB) containing a nucleating agent, N,N’-dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide. It was found that the epitaxial crystallization of PP occurs on the nucleating agent with needle shape, in which PP chains are oriented perpendicular to the long axis of the needle crystals of the nucleating agent. Because of the hydrodynamic force at extrusion, the nucleating agents orient to the flow direction, leading to anomalous molecular orientation of PP chains, i.e., perpendicular to the flow direction. Moreover, dispersed EB droplets are deformed into the flow direction. As a result, the dispersed phase is deformed perpendicular to the orientation direction of PP chains. We further performed the measurements of mechanical properties considering the anisotropy. It was clarified that the rubber deformation greatly affects the crack propagation at the tear test, while the molecular orientation of PP matrix is responsible for the anisotropy in the dynamic tensile modulus greatly.