COMPATIBILIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE) BLENDS AND CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF THE BLENDS

The compatibilization of incompatible polypropylene (PP)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blends was studied. The experimental results showed that the graft copolymer [(PP-MA)-g-PEO] of maleated PP (PP-MA) and mono-hydroxyl PEO (PEO-OH) was a good compatibilizer for the PP/PEO blends in which PP-MA also had some compatibilization. The crystallization of the blends was affected by the compatibility between PP and PEO. The interfacial behavior of the compatibilizers had an important effect on crystallization behavior of the PP/PEO blends. PEO showed fractionated crystallization in the PP/PEO blends. This behavior was studied from the view point of the theory of fractionated crystallization. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.