Download or read book Miscibility and Structure-Property Relationships in Some Novel Polyolefins written by Akshay R. Kamdar and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first chapter, miscibility of homogeneous propylene/ethylene (P/E) copolymers of relatively narrow molecular weight distribution was studied as a function of constituent comonomer content. Polymers with up to 31 mol% ethylene were blended in pairs in order to vary the comonomer content difference. Copolymers of molecular weight about 200 kg/mol were miscible if the difference in ethylene content was less than about 18 mol%, and immiscible if the ethylene content difference was greater than about 20 mol%. Blends with constituent composition difference in the range of 18 20 mol% exhibited partial miscibility in the melt. In the second chapter, the effect of chain microstructure on the miscibility and phase behavior of ethylene-octene (EO) copolymer blends was studied. Binary blends of two statistical copolymers (EO/EO blends) that differed in comonomer content were compared with blends of an EO with an olefinic blocky ethylene-octene copolymer, OBC (EO/OBC blends). Two EOs of molecular weight about 100 kg/mol were miscible if the difference in octene content was less than about 10 mol% and immiscible if the octene content difference was greater than about 13 mol%. The blocky nature of the OBCs reduced the miscibility and broadened the partial miscibility window of EO/OBC blends compared to EO/EO blends. The EO/OBC blends were miscible if the octene content difference was less than 7 mol% and immiscible above 13 mol% octene content difference. In the third chapter, the adhesion of some ethylene-octene copolymers to polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) was studied in order to evaluate their suitability as compatibilizers for PP/HDPE blends. A one-dimensional model of the compatibilized blend was fabricated by layer-multiplying coextrusion. The microlayered tapes consisted of many alternating layers of PP and HDPE with a thin tie-layer inserted at each interface. The thickness of the tie-layer varied from 0.1 to 14 microns, which included thicknesses comparable to those of the interfacial layer in a compatibilized blend. A blocky copolymer (OBC) consistently exhibited better adhesion to PP than statistical copolymers (EO). Inspection of the crack-tip damage zone revealed a change from a continuous plastic damage zone in tie-layers 2 microns or thicker to a highly fibrillated damage zone in thinner tie-layers.