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Effect of zeolite 5A on compatibility and properties of linear low‐density polyethylene/thermoplastic starch blend
Author(s) -
Thipmanee Ranumas,
Sane Amporn
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.36850
Subject(s) - materials science , linear low density polyethylene , ultimate tensile strength , composite material , zeolite , polyethylene , compounding , thermal stability , miscibility , thermoplastic , starch , extrusion , elongation , young's modulus , polymer , chemical engineering , chemistry , catalysis , biochemistry , engineering
Polymer composites consisting of linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), thermoplastic starch (TPS), and zeolite 5A (Z), with a constant PE to TPS weight ratio of 70 : 30 and zeolite 5A contents of 1–5 wt % were prepared in the forms of pellets and films by using a co‐rotating intermeshing twin‐screw extruder and a blown film extrusion line, respectively. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of zeolite 5A on compatibility between PE and TPS, as well as morphological, thermal, and tensile properties of PE/TPS/Z composites. The presence of zeolite 5A increased the miscibility and tensile properties of the PE/TPS blend. Tensile properties of the blend considerably improved after compounding with zeolite 5A, as the tensile strength, modulus, and elongation at break increased significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) by up to ∼ 60, 30, and 70%, respectively. Increasing the zeolite 5A content from 1–5 wt % significantly increased ( P ≤ 0.05) the tensile strength, modulus, and elongation at break of PE/TPS/Z composites from ∼ 12 to 16 MPa, 133 to 154 MPa, and 305 to 390%, respectively. However, the addition of zeolite 5A slightly decreased the thermal stability of the PE/TPS blend by ∼ 5–15°C. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012