Stress relaxation,creep, and internal stresses in high density polyethylene filled with calcium carbonate

The effect of filling high density polyethylene (HDPE) with calcium carbonate (up to 50% by weight) on the stress relaxation and the creep in uniaxial extension at room temperature was investigated. The addition of CaCO₃ was found to have a strong influence on the flow behaviour of HDPE. In particular, it was observed that the internal stress level, calculated from relaxation data, increased markedly with the filler content. The reduction in creep rate of the filled samples suggested that the CaCO₃-particles induce a change in the structure of the HDPE-interphase close to the filler surface. This was supported by dynamic mechanical measurements performed at low temperatures on swollen HDPE-CaCO₃ samples.     

Influence of Molecular Conformation on the Constitutive Response of Polyethylene: A Comparison of HDPE, UHMWPE, and PEX

The current work presents the characterization and comparison of the mechanical response of three different industrial forms of polyethylene. Specifically, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), and cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) were tested in compression as a function of temperature (−75 to 100°C) and strain-rate (10⁻⁴ to 2,600 s⁻¹). The responses of UHMWPE and PEX are very similar, whereas HDPE exhibits some differences. The HDPE samples display a significantly higher yield stress followed by a flat flow behavior. Conversely UHMWPE and PEX both exhibit significant strain hardening after yield. The temperature and strain-rate dependence are captured by simple linear and logarithmic fits over the full range of conditions investigated. The yield behavior is presented in terms of an empirical mapping function that is extended to analytically solve for the mapping constant. The power-law dependence on strain-rate observed in some polymers is explained using this mapping function.     

Determination of the elongational viscosity of polymer melts by melt spinning experiments. A comparison with different experimental techniques

In this work, melt spinning experiments were tentatively used for the determination of the elongational viscosity of polymer melts at different levels of tensile strain and strain rate. The materials examined were two high-density polyethylene grades for blow moulding with similar number-average molecular mass but different polydispersity index. The data from melt spinning tests were compared with transient extensional viscosity data obtained by uniform isothermal tensile tests, performed by means of an extensional rheometer, as well as with those produced by converging flow tests (Cogswell model). The results showed that for high strain and strain rate levels, the melt spinning experiments provide elongational viscosity data quite close to the transient extensional viscosity values obtained from the tensile tests.     

Recycled high-density polyethylene/gypsum composites: evaluation of the microscopic,thermal, flammability,and mechanical properties

Sustainable composites comprising scraps of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and gypsum waste in proportions HDPE/gypsum 100/0, 50/50, 40/60, and 30/70 wt% were prepared. The morphology of the injected specimens was core-shell. Thermal, flammability, water absorption, and compression resistance were also evaluated. Progressively, the presence of gypsum increased the HDPE crystallinity and T_onset. Concerning the flammability, the composite 30/70 exhibited the burning rate three times lower than HDPE, indicating that the gypsum played a role as a flame retardant. The HDPE acted as waterproofing for gypsum. The compression resistance of the composites was similar to HDPE.     

Self-Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Prepared by Low Frequency Vibration-Assisted Injection Molding. II: Microstructure Investigation

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) were employed to study the microstructure of self-reinforced high-density polyethylene (HDPE) prepared by conventional injection molding (CIM) and a low frequency vibration-assisted injection molding (VAIM). SEM micrographs following permanganic etching showed the self-reinforcement of HDPE is mainly due to the existence of shish-kebab morphology within the core region for VAIM-processed HDPE samples. Pronounced molecular alignment was identified by the WAXD data. An approximate 9% increase in the crystallinity was confirmed by DSC. Both preferred molecular orientation and increased crystallinity serve to yield stronger VAIM-processed injection moldings.     

Characterization of the mesostructure of HDPE under “in situ” uniaxial tensile test by incoherent polarized steady‐light transport

This study presents quantitative results related to in situ investigation of the microstructural evolutions of high‐density polyethylene with deformation. These results were obtained thanks to a novel technique (IPSLT) based on the polarized light scattering transport phenomenon. The heterogeneities produced during whitening of the polymer bulk are characterized at the mesoscale level (from hundred of nanometers to a few micrometers). The technique is described as well as the identified parameters it provides, namely: the average size of the scatterers, the anisotropy developed in the medium, and the light transport length, representative of both the volume fraction and size of the heterogeneities. Results obtained during video‐controlled tensile experiments confirm those obtained previously with X‐ray microtomography. They put forward the role of morphological transformations of the amorphous/crystalline phases (especially regarding the creation of fibrillar assemblies) rather than the cavitation phenomenon. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Flash DSC crystallization study for blown film grade bimodal HDPE resins. I. Isothermal kinetics and its application of the blown film modeling

Isothermal ultra‐cooling crystallization tests were conducted on three blown film grade bimodal HDPE resins using an ultrafast scanning calorimeter, the Flash DSC. Isothermal tests were performed to study the regime transition, the thermal nucleation and the spherulitical growth using the Hoffman‐Lauritzen theory in a range between 90 °C and 116 °C. Temperature profile estimations using such data were in good agreement with actual blown film process data. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 2425–2431     

Flame retardant high density polyethylene optimized by on-line ultrasound extrusion

The effect of on-line ultrasound application by a special static mixer die which promotes extensional flow simultaneously during the single screw extrusion process was thoroughly studied. The proportion of aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) used as flame retardant on high density polyethylene (HDPE) was optimized. The morphological, thermal, flammability, combustion, mechanical and rheological properties of the materials were investigated. The morphological study pointed out that this process is able to strongly reduce the size of ATH particles and improve their dispersion and distribution within the polymer matrix. The addition of zinc borate (ZB) at low concentration (namely 3 phr) showed its well-known synergistic effect in the thermal, oxygen index and fire combustion behavior. According to the UL94 standard, the rating for all materials tested changed from HB to V2, with respect to materials prepared without ultrasound; furthermore a rating V0 was achieved only with the addition of 2 phr organo-clay. Rheological results under simple and small amplitude oscillatory shear flow confirmed the enhanced particle dispersion and finer particle morphology evidenced by larger values of the moduli and by deviations from the semicircular shape observed in the Cole–Cole diagram. Mechanical properties such as Izod impact resistance, tensile strength, strain at break and tenacity were also improved by the on-line ultrasound process. In this work, the appropriate on-line ultrasound extrusion conditions to use the lowest ATH content (30 phr or 21.5 in wt%) were found, rendering HDPE optimized flame retardant materials with improved processability and mechanical properties.     

Study of the nanostructure of γ‐irradiated high‐density polyethylene/carbon black composite and its durability as geomembrane

The degradation of the nearby generation of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) loaded with 2.5% of carbon black (CB) content (ie, HDPE/CB composites) is studied experimentally with the end goal of radiation safety applications. The impact of various γ‐irradiation doses in the air on the nanostructure of free volume and durability has been researched. The free volume was evaluated utilizing the positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) technique while the durability was contemplated by measuring the mechanical properties such as strain, elongation at break, and tear resistance. The electrical conductivity was explored to demonstrate the impact of the irradiation dose on the conductivity of the samples. Surface morphology studies using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the surface fracture of HDPE/CB composites for unirradiated and irradiated samples. The surface roughness of the HDPE/CB GMs increases with increasing the irradiation dose. Among various uses of HDPE/CB composites, sheets are liners of dumps used to dispose of interim storage for Low and Medium Level Waste of NORMs and TENORMs. HDPE Geomembrane liners proved its utilization from the results of present research of electrical, mechanical tests, and SEM morphology to have the required resistance to weather conditions.     

A facile rheological approach for the evaluation of “super toughness point” of compatibilized HDPE / MWCNT nanocomposites

Fast and efficient determination of the optimal mechanical property of a polymer/CNT nanocomposite is crucial to develop polymer conductive nanocomposites. This work establishes a rheological approach to evaluate the super-toughness point of compatibilized high density polyethylene (HDPE)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites. Results illustrate that three types of HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites exhibit obvious gel plateaus in the dynamic rheological curves and the gel points of nanocomposites with compatibilizer shift to the low MWCNTs loading. The super-toughness points of HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites with compatibilizers show the correspondence with the gel points acquired from the rheological data, indicating that dynamic rheology is an effective way to determine the super-toughness points of HDPE/MWCNT nanocomposites with compatibilizers. Furthermore, unique network structure at the gel points is directly observed and the new mechanism of toughness is proposed. This study provides new insights for effective control of the structures and properties of polymer/CNT nanocomposites.