Rheological properties for binary blends of i-PP and ethylene-1-hexene copolymer

The dynamic viscoelastic properties for binary blends consisting of an isotactic polypropylene (i-PP) and an ethylene-1-hexene copolymer (EHR) were investigated in both solid and molten states to reveal the relation between miscibility in the molten state and the morphology in the solid state. In this study, two types of EHRs were employed: ''ethylene-rich'' EHR and ''1-hexene-rich'' EHR. The blend of i-PP and EHR of 30 mol% 1-hexene content shows a very long time relaxation due to the phase separation in the molten state. The blend film shows two separate glass-relaxation processes associated with those of the pure components. These indicate that the blend shows phase-separated morphology in the solid state as well as in the molten state. On the other hand, dynamic moduli in the molten state of the blends of i-PP and EHR of 57 mol% 1-hexene were found to be intermediate between those of individual pure components. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy of the blends is constant and is identical with those of i-PP and the EHR. The blend films show a single glass-relaxation process at the temperatures between those of the pure components, indicating that the EKR molecules are incorporated in the amorphous region of i-PP in the solid state. Accordingly it was found that the polymer miscibility in the molten state for the i-PP/EHR blends directly affects the morphology in the solid state. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.