EFFECT OF CALCIUM CARBONATE NANOPARTICLES IN HDPE-GREEN/PE-g-MA/PLA BLEND PROPERTIES
de Oliveira Amanda Gerhardt (1), Moreno Janaina Fernandes (2), de Sousa Ana Maria Furtado (3), Escócio Viviane Alves (2), Guimarães Maria José de Oliveira Cavalcanti (1), da Silva Ana Lúcia Nazareth (2)*
(1) EQ-UFRJ - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, (2) IMA-UFRJ - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, (3) IQ-UERJ - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
The development of high-tech and performance materials has motivated the interests of academic and industrial researchers worldwide. Within this context, the study discusses the production and characterization of composite materials based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyethylene from renewable sources (HDPE-Green), maleic anhydride grafting polyethylene (HDPE-g-MA), and nano-sized calcium carbonate filler (nCaCO3). The materials were prepared by using the melt mixing method in a twin screw extruder, which configuration of screw elements is suitable for the dispersion of mineral fillers in plastic matrices. The addition of PLA in HDPE-Green decreased the impact properties of the matrix and increased the elastic modulus, G’. The incorporation of the compatibilizer, HDPE-g-MA, did not influence the improvement of impact properties of HDPE-Green/PLA blend; however, the rheological properties were altered significantly. The rheological analysis showed that the addition of nano-CaCO3 filler to the HDPE-Green/ HDPE-g-MA/PLA blend provoked a greater increase in the viscosity values and completely altered the relaxation mechanism. The modeling data was well suited to the Cross model.