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Rheological properties of HDPE/chitosan composites modified with PE-g-MA

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Abstract

The rheological behavior of composites made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and chitosan was studied. Composites were prepared by melt processing in a laboratory internal mixer. Maleic anhydride grafted HDPE (PE-g-MA) was used as compatibilizer to enhance the dispersion of chitosan in the HDPE matrix. Different percentages of chitosan and compatibilizer (up to a maximum of 25 phr) were added into HDPE to prepare composites. Characterization of the composites with parallel plate rheometer and laboratory internal mixer revealed that the presence of chitosan increases the complex viscosity, loss modulus, storage modulus and the torque (i.e., melt viscosity), and the combination chitosan/compatibilizer has a similar, if slighter, effect. At higher filler levels it is clear that the PE-g-MA affected the microstructure of the compounds, possibly increasing matrix–filler interactions and acting as an effective compatibilizer.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the Braskem and Chemtura for the donation of the polyethylene resin and maleated polyethylene, and to the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq—Brazil), Grant # 478968/2013-2, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES—Brazil) and Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE—Brazil), DCR-0009-3.03/12, for financial support.

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  1. Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, PB, 58429-900, Brazil

    Poliana S. Lima, Rebecca S. F. Brito, Bárbara F. F. Santos, Albaniza A. Tavares, Pankaj Agrawal, Daniela L. A. C. S. Andrade, Eduardo L. Canedo & Suédina M. L. Silva

  2. Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 58051-900, Brazil

    Renate M. R. Wellen

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  1. Poliana S. Lima
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  2. Rebecca S. F. Brito
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Lima, P.S., Brito, R.S.F., Santos, B.F.F. et al. Rheological properties of HDPE/chitosan composites modified with PE-g-MA. Journal of Materials Research 32, 775–787 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2016.519

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