Development of advanced polyethylene-based multicomponent materials for industrial applications

基于廉价商品塑料的多组分聚合物（塑料）材料，包括共混物和纳米复合材料（含有纳米（10-9 m）颗粒的塑料）的开发是制造增值先进材料的一种有前途的方法。采用这种方法是非常有前途的改性聚乙烯（PE），这是最常用的塑料，以改善其固有性能，并赋予它新的理想特性。改性PE基材料可以取代更昂贵的工程塑料，并为不断增长的对更高质量、更具成本效益的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，PE共混物或纳米复合材料的制备带来了科学和工业挑战。总部位于莱斯布里奇的Flexahopper Plastics是一家100%加拿大独资的制造商，为石油和天然气，农业，食品和海洋工业提供各种PE产品。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。该合作的第一步将涉及：i）商业规模生产与极性聚合物具有增强粘附力的PE共混物，ii）修改将这些共混物掺入产品的制造工艺，以及iii）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，并使他们能够为更苛刻的应用制造产品，从而使他们处于增加收入的坚实地位。在这项工作中获得的知识和经验预计将为生产具有增强机械（例如强度），抗静电和阻隔（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.