Rheological Behavior and Mechanical Properties of High-Density Polyethylene Blends with Different Molecular Weights

The dynamic rheological and mechanical properties of the binary blends of two conventional high-density polyethylenes [HDPEs; low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW)] with distinct different weight-average molecular weights were studied. The rheological results show that the rheological behavior of the blends departed from classical linear viscoelastic theory because of the polydispersity of the HDPEs that we used. Plots of the logarithm of the zero shear viscosity fitted by the Cross model versus the blend composition, Cole Cole plots, Han curves, and master curves of the storage and loss moduli indicated the LMW/HMW blends of different compositions were miscible in the melt state. The tensile yield strength of the blends generally followed the linear additivity rule, whereas the elongation at break and impact strength were lower than those predicted by linear additivity; this suggested the incompatibility of the blends in solid state. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 1356-1363, 2010