STUDY THE INTERACTION AND COMPATIBILITY OF LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/ POLYACRYLIC ACID BLENDS BY RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR AND FTIR MEASUREMENT

Abstract

Blends of low density polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (LDPE-g-MAH) and several ratios (1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 10%) of poly acrylic acid (PAA) were prepared via melt mixer and their rheological properties was studied. Shear stress, shear rate, viscosity and die swell were calculated at temperatures 210 and 230 oC . All blends showed that shear stress reduce with increases shear rate .The pseudoplastic behavior for all blends was observed while the apparent viscosity decreases with increasing shear rate. Activation energy (Ea) for these blends was determined at temperatures 170,190,210 and 230 oC. The characteristic groups of MAH in LDPE, carboxylic acid in PAA, the interface between this functional groups were indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).The results show the disappear one of the maleic anhydride bands in the LDPE-g-MAH and appearance of strong band at 1730cm-1approximately in the LDPE-g-MAH/PAA (90/10 wt/wt) blends spectrum