Compatibility of low‐density polyethylene–poly(ε‐caprolactone) blends

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Abstract
The compatibility of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE)–poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) was examined using the microscopic, the dynamic mechanical, and the DSC techniques. Morphological examination revealed that at low PCL concentrations, when specimens are severaly quenched, a uniform microspherulitic structure is formed. The dynamic mechanical spectra, at isochronous conditions (110 Hz), indicate very limited mixing of the amorphous phase of the two components at the intermediate compositions. More drastic relaxation shifts were observed at the extremes of the composition range. Ultimate strength and elongation at break are characteristic of a mechanically compatible system at high and low PCL contents. In the intermediate composition range their low value indicates phase separation. DSC measurements showed a nonlinear dependence of bulk crystallinity on blend composition; also, that the presence of PE enhances the degree of PCL crystallinity. Thermal history strongly affects bulk crystallinity. At elevated temperatures, near the mp of PE, thermal treatment affects considerably the melting point of the PE crystals.
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