Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering

Accelerated weathering test was performed on blends of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and plastic film waste constituting the following percentages of polyolefin polymers (wt.%): LLDPE (46%), low density polyethylene (LDPE, 51%), high density polyethylene (HDPE, 1%), and polypropylene (PP,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. M. Al-Salem, N. M. Al-Dousari, G. Joseph Abraham, M. Aromin D’Souza, O. A. Al-Qabandi, W. Al-Zakri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:International Journal of Polymer Science
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5147209
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850234274150612992
author S. M. Al-Salem
N. M. Al-Dousari
G. Joseph Abraham
M. Aromin D’Souza
O. A. Al-Qabandi
W. Al-Zakri
author_facet S. M. Al-Salem
N. M. Al-Dousari
G. Joseph Abraham
M. Aromin D’Souza
O. A. Al-Qabandi
W. Al-Zakri
author_sort S. M. Al-Salem
collection DOAJ
description Accelerated weathering test was performed on blends of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and plastic film waste constituting the following percentages of polyolefin polymers (wt.%): LLDPE (46%), low density polyethylene (LDPE, 51%), high density polyethylene (HDPE, 1%), and polypropylene (PP, 2%). Compounded blends were evaluated for their mechanical and physical (optical) properties. The impact of photodegradation on the formulated blends was studied, and loss of mechanical integrity was apparent with respect to both the exposure duration to weathering and waste content. The effect of processing conditions, namely, the die head temperature (DHT) of the blown-film assembly used, was investigated in this work. It was witnessed that surpassing the melting point of the blends constituting polymers did not always result in a synergistic behaviour between polymers. This was suspected to be due to the loss of amorphous region that polyolefin polymers get subjected to with UV exposure under weathering conditions and the effect of the plastic waste constituents. The total change in colour (ΔE) did not change with respect to DHT or waste content due to rapid change degradation on the material’s surface. Haze (%) and light transmission (%) decreased with the increase in waste content which was attributed to lack of miscibility between constituting polymers.
format Article
id doaj-art-159a4e60ce0c41678e5571eb96577ef3
institution OA Journals
issn 1687-9422
1687-9430
language English
publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series International Journal of Polymer Science
spelling doaj-art-159a4e60ce0c41678e5571eb96577ef32025-08-20T02:02:40ZengWileyInternational Journal of Polymer Science1687-94221687-94302016-01-01201610.1155/2016/51472095147209Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated WeatheringS. M. Al-Salem0N. M. Al-Dousari1G. Joseph Abraham2M. Aromin D’Souza3O. A. Al-Qabandi4W. Al-Zakri5Environment & Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, KuwaitEnvironment & Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, KuwaitPetroleum Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, KuwaitEnvironment & Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, KuwaitR&D Department, EQUATE Petrochemical Company, P.O. Box 91717, 61008 Ahmadi, KuwaitEnvironment & Life Sciences Research Centre, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, 13109 Safat, KuwaitAccelerated weathering test was performed on blends of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and plastic film waste constituting the following percentages of polyolefin polymers (wt.%): LLDPE (46%), low density polyethylene (LDPE, 51%), high density polyethylene (HDPE, 1%), and polypropylene (PP, 2%). Compounded blends were evaluated for their mechanical and physical (optical) properties. The impact of photodegradation on the formulated blends was studied, and loss of mechanical integrity was apparent with respect to both the exposure duration to weathering and waste content. The effect of processing conditions, namely, the die head temperature (DHT) of the blown-film assembly used, was investigated in this work. It was witnessed that surpassing the melting point of the blends constituting polymers did not always result in a synergistic behaviour between polymers. This was suspected to be due to the loss of amorphous region that polyolefin polymers get subjected to with UV exposure under weathering conditions and the effect of the plastic waste constituents. The total change in colour (ΔE) did not change with respect to DHT or waste content due to rapid change degradation on the material’s surface. Haze (%) and light transmission (%) decreased with the increase in waste content which was attributed to lack of miscibility between constituting polymers.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5147209
spellingShingle S. M. Al-Salem
N. M. Al-Dousari
G. Joseph Abraham
M. Aromin D’Souza
O. A. Al-Qabandi
W. Al-Zakri
Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
International Journal of Polymer Science
title Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
title_full Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
title_fullStr Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
title_short Effect of Die Head Temperature at Compounding Stage on the Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Plastic Film Waste Blends after Accelerated Weathering
title_sort effect of die head temperature at compounding stage on the degradation of linear low density polyethylene plastic film waste blends after accelerated weathering
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5147209
work_keys_str_mv AT smalsalem effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering
AT nmaldousari effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering
AT gjosephabraham effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering
AT maromindsouza effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering
AT oaalqabandi effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering
AT walzakri effectofdieheadtemperatureatcompoundingstageonthedegradationoflinearlowdensitypolyethyleneplasticfilmwasteblendsafteracceleratedweathering