Rheological, mechanical, morphological and thermal properties ofr ecycled poly (ethylene terephthalate)- polythylene filled montmorillonite

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of incorporating nanofiller, montmorillonite (MMT) on mechanical, morphology, rheological and thermal properties of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET) and High density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites. The MMT contents in 90:10 rPET/HDPE and 70:30 rPET/PE ranged from 1 to 5 wt.%. Blends based on rPET/HDPE nanocomposites were made through single extrusion and injection-molded into tensile and impact test samples. Samples underwent rheological test by using capillary rheometer, and the morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal stability of organoclays and nanocomposites was tested by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results pointed out that MMT displayed a higher compatibilizing act giving rise to a neat improvement of phase dispersion and interfacial adhesion in the blends. The maximum tensile strength was at 3 wt. % and 1 wt. % of MMT for 90:10 and 70:30 rPET/HDPE blends. However, tensile modulus decreased significantly with the incorporation of MMT. Impact strength for both blending 90:10 and 70:30 reached a maximum point at 3 wt. % and started to decrease beyond 3 wt. %. The incorporation of MMT increased the shear viscosity of 90:10 and 70:30 which reached a maximum value at 3 wt. % and 1 wt. %.