VISCOELASTIC AND ELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF POLYPROPYLENE AND ETHYLENE COPOLYMER BLENDS

Thermorheological properties of an incompatible polymer blend of polyp ropylene inclusions dispersed in a ethylene copolymer matrix were disc ussed from the emulsion model developed by Palierne. Due to the differ ent theological behaviors with temperature of the two phases, such a s ystem proved to be a judicious blend in order to consider the special cases of the model applications: (1) the two phases are viscoelastic l iquids, (2) the dispersed phase is a solid elastic assimilated to rigi d spheres in comparison with viscoelastic liquid behavior of the matri x, and (3) the two phases are elastic solids. At low frequencies, the theological behavior of the blend was not correctly predicted by the m odel. So interactions other than hydrodynamics can exist in the intraf acial region, and physical entanglements between the chains of the two constituents leading to topological interactions may be assumed at th e interphase. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.