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pps proceeding
Symposium: S04 - Polymer Blends and Compounds
Oral Presentation
 
 

Polyolefin blends for irrigation tapes: Rheology and crystallization behavior

Haghparast Sina (1), Pircheraghi Gholamreza (1)*, Rashedi Reza (2)

(1) Sharif University of Technology - Tehran - Iran, (2) Research and development center, Jam Petrochemical Company, Assaluyeh, Iran - Bushehr - Iran

In this study, an attempt was made to prepare polyolefin blend appropriate for high-speed production of irrigation tapes. In this regard, a medium-density polyethylene (MD) was blended with two high-density polyethylene (PE100 and PE80) and low-density polyethylene components. Blend samples were prepared in a laboratory internal mixer and characterized by means of rheological, mechanical and thermal measurements. Results showed the blending of MD with HD components lead to enhancement of melt strength and mechanical properties, while the thermal measurement by DSC confirmed the miscibility of the sample in the solid state through the co-crystallization phenomenon. On the other hand the blend sample having 30 wt.% LD component showed the melt strength and elongation viscosity suitable for high speed production of thin irrigation tapes, while the DSC measurement revealed the phase separation during crystallization. The long chain branches (LCB) of LD component increase the entanglements in melt states leading to strain hardening during extension, on the other hand, the LCBs impose the thermodynamic immiscibility between blend components and encourage the phase separation during the crystallization of the blend. The results of this research can be adopted for better insight and to optimize the formulation of two-component polyolefin blends for irrigation tapes.