Effects of HDPE-g-MAH on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Recycled rPET/rHDPE Blends

Nowadays, environmentally conscious manufacturers make their products from partly or fully recycled materials. However, recycling of polymer blends can be difficult. In immiscible polymer blends, the components often contain reactive functional groups, therefore polymers with reactive functional groups can be used as reactive compatibilizers. I investigated the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of different recycled rPET/rHDPE blends. I used an anhydride modified polyethylene (HDPE-g-MAH) as a compatibilizer. I found that without compatibilizer, the elongation at break decreased with the increase of rHDPE. As the amount of compatibilizer increases, the elongation at break is gradually increased. Furthermore, based on the SEM images, it can be observed that the size of the dispersed rHDPE phase in the rPET matrix decreased with the addition of a compatibilizer, and the dispersion of the dispersed phase also improved.