Polymer Sciences Open Access

New glycidyl methacrylate-based copolymers as compatibilizers for polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate blends

World Congress on Polymer Engineering

August 09-10 , 2018 Prague , Czech Republic

Mafalda S Lima, Aurea A Matias, Joao R C Costa, Armenio C Serra and Jorge F J Coelho

CEMMPRE, University of Coimbra, Polo II, Coimbra, Portugal

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Polym Sci

Abstract:

Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) based materials have been known to act as compatibilizers for polypropylene (PP) and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends. PP is a well-known polyolefin that is produced and consumed at significantly high rates worldwide. However, due to its poor mechanical properties, its field of applications is limited. Improving upon PP’s mechanical weakness could be done with different particles or polymeric blends. PET is one of the most consumed polyesters due to its rigidity, oxygen barrier effect and thermal stability. Due to its properties, PET can improve the mechanical and thermal properties of other common polymers (polyolefins), if efficiently blended. This work aims to study the influence of the PGMA content in the final properties of PP-PET blends. To achieve this, different ratios of GMA and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA) were copolymerized by dispersion polymerization (DP). Having a good thermal stability (T5% > 260 ºC, T10% > 315 ºC and Tmax > 370 ºC), the synthesized PGMA-random-PEHA (PGMA-co-PEHA) copolymers were studied as potential compatibilizers for PP-PET (70-30 wt%) blends. The blends were processed in a mixer for 10 minutes at 240 ºC, 60 rpm. The effects of adding 1 to 5 wt% of PGMA-co-PEHA to the PP-PET (70-30 wt%) blends were assessed under the same processing conditions. Comparative studies were performed with a commercially available PE-co-PGMA compatibilizer. The thermal, mechanical and thermomechanical properties of each formulation were evaluated and showing the success of the compatibilization.

Biography :

Mafalda S Lima has received her Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, in 2016. Her MSc thesis was on the Synthesis of Cationic Block Copolymers by Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization for Gene Delivery. Recently she published an article entitled in Polymer (IF = 3.68, Q1; 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.10.060). Currently she is a research fellow in the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra, and her research interests are focused on Studying and Synthesizing Compatibilizers for Two of the most Consumed Polymers Worldwide: Polypropylene and Poly (ethylene terephthalate).

E-mail: mafaldalima2@gmail.com