Role of Cured Epoxy and Block Copolymer Addition in Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyethylene

This work aims to investigate the role of epoxy addition in high density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The block copolymer polyethylene-b-poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG-co-PE) was used as a compatibilizer. The samples were obtained by melt mixing using a torque rheometer. Instrumental nanoindentation was used to determine Young's modulus and nanohardness, thermal properties were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and phase morphology was investigated through transmission and scanning electronic microscopy. The epoxy addition increased HDPE crystallinity by 13% and Young's modulus by 8%. The addition of PEG-co-PE decreased the size of dispersed phase by approximately 50% and improved phase adhesion and homogeneity compared to the blends without block copolymer. The experimental results were compared to numerical results obtained from the use of the homogenization by asymptotic expansion approach. The numerical results presented a fair agreement to the experimental values.