Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.43, No.21, 3030-3043, 2005
Effects of ultrasonic oscillations on linear viscoelastic behaviors of metal locene-catalyzed linear low density polyethylene and its blends with low density polyethylene
The effects of ultrasonic oscillations on linear viscoelastic behaviors of metallocene-catalyzed linear low density polyethylene (mLLDPE) and its blends with low density polyethylene (LDPE) were investigated in this article. The experimental results showed that ultrasonic oscillations can increase the cross modulus, characteristic time, plateau modulus, complex viscosity, zero shear viscosity, and flow activation energy of mLLDPE. Molecular weight of mLLDPE increases but molecular polydispersity index decreases in the presence of ultrasonic oscillations. It has been found for mLLDPE/LDPE blends that the addition of LDPE as well as ultrasonic oscillations can decrease the cross modulus but increase the characteristic time of the blends. The complex viscosity, zero shear viscosity, and flow activation energy of the blends increase by the addition of LDPE, but decrease in the presence of ultrasonic oscillations. Shear thinning effect of the blends is improved because of the addition of LDPE. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.