Impact of resin density and short-chain branching distribution on structural evolution and enhancement of tensile modulus of MDO-PE films

This research explores the potential of PE-based mono-material flexible packaging as a sustainable alternative to traditional designs, emphasizing its efficient mechanical recyclability. Typically, non-PE materials are used in the outer layers of multilayer flexible packaging to ensure adequate stiffness and barrier properties. The stiffness of PE films can be significantly improved through the machine direction orientation (MDO) process. Our study investigates the influence of key polyethylene (PE) resin parameters, specifically, resin density and short-chain branching (SCB) distribution, with indications of molecular weight on lab-scale MDO film stretching and its subsequent effects on mechanical properties. We processed 5 distinct PE resins and blends in a lab-scale setup to produce compression molded base sheets and further MDO-PE films, characterizing them using shear rheology, GPC, DSC, and iCCD analyses. Tensile testing provided insights into the mechanical characteristics, while X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) and AFM studies analysed structural evolution and morphology. Uniaxial stretching notably enhanced the tensile modulus of MDO-PE films along the machine direction, particularly in higher density blends, comparable to conventionally used polymers. Challenges related to extremely high-density base sheets led to localized stretching and breakage. Certain resin compositions exhibited unique molecular architecture, facilitating enhanced tensile modulus and axial stiffness. Our study offers insights into the microstructural changes and surface morphology of MDO-PE films, underscoring the potential use of stiffness-enhanced MDO-PE films as outer layers in PE-based flexible packaging designs. • MDO stretching boosts tensile modulus along machine direction in PE films. • High-density resin base sheets showed increased microstructure fibrillation because of higher resistance to tensile load. • Tensile modulus improved up to 3.5 times, especially on stretching high-density resins base sheets. • Low-density resin's distinct molecular architecture enhances modulus and stiffness while facilitating stretching ease.