Development of advanced polyethylene-based multicomponent materials for industrial applications

开发多组分聚合物（塑料）材料，包括混合物和纳米复合材料（含有纳米（10-9米）颗粒的塑料），以廉价的商品塑料为基础，是制造增值先进材料的有前途的方法。采用这种方法对聚乙烯（PE）进行改性是非常有希望的，聚乙烯是最常用的塑料，可以改善其固有性能并赋予其新的理想特性。改性聚乙烯基材料可以取代昂贵的工程塑料，并为日益增长的对高质量、高性价比塑料的需求提供创新的解决方案。然而，由于PE与其他塑料或纳米颗粒的不相容性，制备PE共混物或纳米复合材料面临科学和工业挑战。总部位于莱斯布里奇的Flexahopper塑料公司是一家100%的加拿大独资制造商，生产各种PE产品，用于石油和天然气，农业，食品和海洋工业。为了生产更高质量的产品，Flexahopper旨在与莱斯布里奇大学的研究人员Paul Hazendonk博士和Farhad Faghihi博士合作，利用先进、廉价的pe基多组分材料。此次合作的第一步将包括：1)商业规模生产PE共混物，增强与极性聚合物的附着力；2)修改将这些共混物纳入产品的制造工艺；3)表征多组分聚合物材料的微观结构。这一举措的成功将使Flexahopper在市场上具有竞争优势，并将使他们能够为更苛刻的应用制造产品，使他们处于一个稳固的地位，以增加他们的收入。在这项工作中获得的知识和经验有望为在合作的下一阶段生产具有增强机械（例如强度），抗静电和屏障（抵抗气体和蒸汽渗透）性能的PE纳米复合材料铺平道路。

Development of multicomponent polymer (plastics) materials, including blends and nanocomposites (plastics containing nanometric (10-9 m) particles), based on inexpensive commodity plastics is a promising approach toward manufacturing of value-added, advanced materials. Employing this approach is extremely promising for the modification of polyethylene (PE), which is the most commonly used plastic, in order to improve its intrinsic properties and give it new desirable characteristics. Modified PE-based materials can replace the more expensive engineering plastics and provide innovative solutions to the ever increasing demand for higher quality, cost effective plastics. Preparation of PE blends or nanocomposites, however, poses scientific and industrial challenges due to the incompatibility of PE with other plastics or nanoparticles. Lethbridge-based Flexahopper Plastics is a 100% Canadian owned manufacturer of a wide range of PE products for oil and gas, agricultural, food, and marine industries. In order to produce higher quality products, Flexahopper aims to utilize advanced, inexpensive PE-based multicomponent materials in collaboration with the researchers at the University of Lethbridge - Dr Paul Hazendonk and Dr Farhad Faghihi. The initial step in this collaboration will involve: i) the commercial scale production of PE blends with enhanced adhesion to polar polymers, ii) modification of the manufacturing process for the incorporation of these blends into the products, and iii) characterization of the microstructure of the mlticomponent polymer material. The success of this initiative will give Flexahopper a competitive edge in the market and will allow them to make products for more demanding applications, putting them in a solid position to increase their revenues. The knowledge and experience acquired in this work is expected to pave the road for the production of PE nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical (e.g. strength), antistatic, and barrier (resistance to permeation of gases and vapours) properties in the next phases of this collaboration.