Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol.45, No.9, 1231-1238, 2005
Rheological behavior comparison between PET/HDPE and PC/HDPE microfibrillar blends
The rheological behaviors of in situ microfibrillar blends, including a typical sernicrystalline/semicrystalline (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE)) and a typical amorphous/semicrystalline (polycarbonate (PC)/HDPE) polymer blend were investigated in this study. PET and PC microfibrils exhibit different influences on the rheological behaviors of microfibrillar blends. The viscosity of the microfibrillar blends increases with increased PET and PC concentrations. Surprisingly, the length/diameter ratio of the microfibrils as a result of the hot stretch ratio (HSR) has an opposite influence on the rheological behavior of the two microfibrillar blends. The stretched PET/HDPE blend exhibits higher viscosity than the unstretched counterpart, while the stretched PC/HDPE blend exhibits lower viscosity than the unstretched blend. The data obtained in this study will be helpful for constructing a technical foundation for the recycling and utilization of PET, PC, and HDPE waste mixtures by manufacturing microfibrillar blends in the future.