Rheological and thermal properties of polypropylene blends based in a low molecular weight EVA

Abstract

Blends of polypropylene (PP) and poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) having a PP/EVA viscosity ratio of 240 were prepared by melt mixing. EVA concentration varies from 2 to 26 wt%. All blends display two-phase structure with quasi-spherical EVA domains evenly distributed in the PP matrix. The diameter of the domains increases with EVA concentration from about 0.4 to 6 μm. Each component crystallizes separately. The melting temperature of PP phase is no noticeably affected by the presence of EVA while the crystallization one gradually increases by 4°C. The dynamic moduli of the blends are well predicted by the emulsion model of Palierne, revealing that the system PP/EVA has a very small interfacial tension. The thermal degradation behavior of the blends, determined by thermogravimetry, shows that the deacylation process in EVA is not affected by the presence of PP while the beginning of the degradation process of PP is increased by up to 20°C due to the presence of EVA. This effect goes along with an increment in the maximum degradation rate of PP.