Core/shell morphologies in recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)/linear low-density polyethylene/poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) ternary blends

Compatibilizer plays very important roles in preparing high performance polymer composites, not only for the ternary immiscible polymer blends, but also for the recycled and reused of waste plastics mixture. Generally, the compatibilizers can be used as the toughening agent in blending polymer materials. In the present work, the poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) or maleic anhydride-grafted poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS-g-MA) acts as the compatibilizer and toughening agent for the preparation of R-PET/LDPE/SEBS (70/20/10) ternary blends. It must be pointed that the ternary blends are costlessly and conveniently prepared from the recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (R-PET) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) through a melt blending in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder and injection moulded. The morphologies of the ternary blends are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the blends contains reactive or non-reactive compatibilizer, the morphology originates from the LLDPE particles encapsulated by both SEBS and SEBS-g-MA. So, it results to the reduced interfacial tension between of the R-PET and SEBS-g-MA, in which the grafted chains of PET-g-SEBS-g-MA formed through in situ reaction between R-PET and SEBS-g-MA phases. Therefore, core–shell particles with smaller diameter disperse uniformly in the blends. Moreover, the good compatibilization and corresponding morphologies induce in balanced mechanical and thermal properties. DSC analysis show the dispersed phase particles could act as nucleating agent in the R-PET matrix, which results the improvement of the crystallization temperature. And it was also observed the decreased nucleation activity in graft copolymers in the R-PET/LLDPE/SEBS-g-MA blends. Notched Charpy impact strength and elongation at break are improved by the addition of compatibilizer.