This work presents a detailed study on the influence of blend phase ratio upon the morphology, crystallinity, mechanical and viscoelastic properties of crosslinked foams based on blends of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylenevinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). Non-isothermal foaming is carried out via melt compression molding using dicumyl peroxide and azodicarbonamide as crosslinking and foaming agents, respectively. Rheo-mechanical spectrometer characterization reveals faster crosslinking for EVA, leading to higher rate of melt viscosity increase for EVA-rich blends during heating. This results in the formation of foams with higher cell density and gel content than LDPE-rich foams. Compressive stress-strain behavior and viscoelastic hysteresis of the LDPE-rich foams are governed by the degree of crystallinity and cell density, whereas for the EVA-rich foams cell density and gel content are dominant.Increasing the crosslink density results in enhanced compressive behavior with excellent recovery of stress to 60% strain during four compression cycles.

No abstract

No abstract

Bionanocomposite materials with enhanced photodegradability and bactericidal activity, as well as improved gas barrier properties, were manufactured by incorporating silicate nanolayers into the structure of low density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with nano titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) via melt compounding. Effects of interfacial compatibilization upon developed microstructure were studied by incorporating maleated LDPE into the nanocomposites formulation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheo-mechanical spectroscopy (RMS) techniques were conducted to characterize the microstructure of the nanocomposites. Interfacially compatibilized TiO 2 /organoclay (OC) based nanocomposites exhibited shorter induction time for the onset of photodegradation, and an acceptable inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) microbe cells upon UV light irradiation, indicating enhanced photoactivity of the hybridized TiO 2 /OC nanosystem. TiO 2 /OC-based nanocomposites exhibited increased melt viscosity and pseudo solid like characteristics in melt linear viscoelastic behavior. Moreover, TiO 2 /OC-based nanocomposites presented improved barrier properties, which make such materials applicable for packaging applications.

Bionanocomposite materials with enhanced photodegradability and bactericidal activity, as well as improved gas barrier properties, were manufactured by incorporating silicate nanolayers into the structure of low density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) via melt compounding. Effects of interfacial compatibilization upon developed microstructure were studied by incorporating maleated LDPE into the nanocomposites formulation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheo-mechanical spectroscopy (RMS) techniques were conducted to characterize the microstructure of the nanocomposites. Interfacially compatibilized TiO2/organoclay (OC) based nanocomposites exhibited shorter induction time for the onset of photodegradation, and an acceptable inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) microbe cells upon UV light irradiation, indicating enhanced photoactivity of the hybridized TiO2/OC nanosystem. TiO2/OC-based nanocomposites exhibited increased melt viscosity and pseudo solid like characteristics in melt linear viscoelastic behavior. Moreover, TiO2/OC-based nanocomposites presented improved barrier properties, which make such materials applicable for packaging applications.Keywords: antimicrobial; LDPE; nano TiO2; organoclay; photodegradable Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. Please, subscribe or login to access all content.