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Investigation of mixtures based on polyethylene and polylactide with the addition of secondary polymer raw materials
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Researchers examined how blending polyethylene with polylactide and secondary recycled polymers affects material degradation, finding that thermal oxidation during processing significantly alters blend properties and that careful formulation is necessary to maintain performance when incorporating recycled plastic feedstocks.
During operation, polymeric materials are exposed to various aggressive factors, such as light, heat, oxygen, pressure and others. Oxidation processes can have a negative impact on the properties of blends. Degradation by thermal oxidation are important factors affecting the material during molding, chemical processing and disposal consideration. Analysis of the effect of secondary low density polyethylene on the behavior of polyethylene-polylactide blends during thermooxidative degradation showed that the additive accelerates the onset of oxidation both at 80°C and at 90°С. It was found by DSC method that after the thermo-oxidation process the glass transition peak of polylactide in the mixture becomes faint, and also the thermophysical characteristics of 30 PLA/60 LDPE/10 LDPEsec mixture components increase.
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