Space charge distribution and crystalline structure in polyethylene blended with EVOH

The space charge distribution in polyethylene samples under direct current (DC) electrical field was measured by pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. It was found that by blending with 5 wt.% of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) the amount of accumulated space charges decreased and the field distribution of space charge improved. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study showed that crystallization of LDPE/EVOH started at a higher temperature than LDPE. The results of wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and small-angle light scattering (SALS) for LDPE/EVOH indicated that the crystal forms did not change, whereas the spherulites became smaller and imperfective. It can be seen from the results that EVOH played a role of nucleation during the crystallization of LDPE in the blend. The observation of scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the domains of EVOH were dispersed in LDPE as particles in diameter of 1 μm. The reduction of space charges in the blend sample can be explained as the results of the trapping of homo-charges at the interface and the dissipation of charges through LDPE matrix consisting of smaller spherulites. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.