Rheology and interfacial phenomena of highly filled propylene-ethylene co-polymers

陶氏化学公司已经开发了一种具有窄分子量分布和宽结晶度分布的丙烯-乙烯（P/E）共聚物的新家族。 这些共聚物允许特别高的填料负载，同时保持低粘度，因此，良好的加工性。工业研究表明，它们可以包含高达80重量%的填料负载，并保持易于加工。相比之下，LDPE和传统的P/E共聚物填充低至30 - 40重量%，可以具有粘度太高，无法处理。这项工作，在康考迪亚大学与陶氏化学公司合作进行，将是一个全面的颗粒填充聚合物的研究，并将提供重要的粘弹性，复合材料微观结构，聚合物分子结构和界面现象之间的关系的理解。 该研究项目将使加拿大的聚烯烃和塑料制造商以及颗粒填料供应商受益。 它也将为聚合物科学做出重要的、基础性的贡献。

The Dow Chemical Company has developed a new family of propylene-ethylene (P/E) copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions and broad crystallinity distributions.  These copolymers allow exceptionally high filler loadings while maintaining a low viscosity and therefore, good processability. Industrial studies have demonstrated that they can incorporate filler loadings as high as 80 wt% and remain easily processable. In comparison, LDPE and traditional P/E copolymers filled as low as 30 40 wt% can have viscosities that are too high to process. This work, performed at Concordia University in partnership with The Dow Chemical Company, will be a comprehensive study of particulate-filled polymers and will provide important understanding of the relationships between viscoelasticity, composite microstructure, polymer molecular structure and interfacial phenomena.  This research project will benefit Canada's manufacturers of polyolefins and plastics and suppliers of particulate fillers.  It will also provide an important, fundamental contribution to polymer science.