Journal
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
Volume 184, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111765
Keywords
Halloysite; Polyethylene; In-situ catalyst support; Mechanical response
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
A novel supported activator (SA) approach utilizing nano-sized supported methylaluminoxane (MAO)-activator based on halloysite natural nanotubes (HNT) and an in situ supporting concept is developed for the preparation of high density polyethylene (HDPE)-based highly performant hybrid materials. The SA method shows enhanced polymerization activities and generates ultimate materials with improved morphological features, greater crystallinity, thicker crystals, and significantly increased stiffness. The use of high aspect ratio support like HNT also contributes to better mechanical properties compared to similar HDPE hybrid materials derived from dendrimer-like silica (DS) nanospheres.
An innovative approach, designated as supported activator (SA), allows preparation of high density polyethylene (HDPE)-based highly performant hybrid materials. This procedure makes use of a nano-sized supported methylaluminoxane (MAO)-activator, based on halloysite natural nanotubes (HNT), combined with an in situ supporting concept. The new protocol when compared with a more conventional approach gives rise to higher polymerization activities as well as ultimate materials with better morphological features, greater crystallinity, thicker crystals, and highly increased stiffness. Moreover, a remarkable synergy between rigidity and toughness is attained. The Young's modulus of a film obtained from the nanocomposite with the highest HNT content increases more than 70 % relatively to a pristine HDPE film, while retaining the limit stretching ability of pristine HDPE (more than 800%). A beneficial impact of using a high aspect ratio support such as HNT in the mechanical properties is also observed, when compared to similar HDPE hybrid materials derived from dendrimer-like silica (DS) nanospheres. Interestingly, polymerization activity, polymer features and derived properties found in the ultimate materials are less impacted by support/filler nature than by preparation method. This fact highlights the crucial role of the synthetic methodology used and corroborates the high potential of the SA route for the preparation of high-performance polyethylene-based nanocomposites with an excellent balance between stiffness and deformability.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available