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Article

GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties?

1
Department of Polymer Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
2
Advanced Materials Center, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
3
Laboratoire Matériaux Optiques, Photonique et Systèmes (LMOPS), CentraleSupélec, Université de Lorraine, F-57000 Metz, France
4
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Barcelona Tech, Colom 1, Terrassa, 08222 Barcelona, Spain
5
Group ‘Materials + Technologies’ (GMT), Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Pza Europa 1, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2022, 15(3), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030841
Submission received: 13 November 2021 / Revised: 13 January 2022 / Accepted: 18 January 2022 / Published: 22 January 2022

Abstract

In this work, GTR/thermoplastics blends (in ratio 50/50 and 75/25 wt.%) were prepared by melt-compounding in an internal mixer. During research, trans-polyoctenamer rubber (TOR), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), were used in their thermoplastic phase. Microstructure and processing-performance property interrelationships of the studied materials were investigated by: atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), rubber process analyzer (RPA), Mooney viscometer, plastometer, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile tests and swelling behavior. In blends of thermoplastics with a high content of GTR (50 and 75 wt.%), the thermoplastic modifier type had a significant impact on the processing behavior and microstructure of blends. In terms of the physico-mechanical properties, the GTR/thermoplastics ratio affected elongation at break, hardness, and density, while its effect on tensile strength was negligible. DSC analysis showed that thermoplastics, as modifiers of GTR, should be considered as binders and not plasticizers, as reflected in the almost constant glass-transition temperature of the blends. RPA measurements indicated higher values of G* and η* for GTR-rich blends. SEM showed a rubber-like interfacial break, while AFM confirmed interfacial contact between GTR and thermoplastics.
Keywords: rubber recycling; ground tire rubber; thermoplastics polymer blends; compatibility; microstructure-processing-performance properties relationships rubber recycling; ground tire rubber; thermoplastics polymer blends; compatibility; microstructure-processing-performance properties relationships

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MDPI and ACS Style

Saeb, M.R.; Wiśniewska, P.; Susik, A.; Zedler, Ł.; Vahabi, H.; Colom, X.; Cañavate, J.; Tercjak, A.; Formela, K. GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties? Materials 2022, 15, 841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030841

AMA Style

Saeb MR, Wiśniewska P, Susik A, Zedler Ł, Vahabi H, Colom X, Cañavate J, Tercjak A, Formela K. GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties? Materials. 2022; 15(3):841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030841

Chicago/Turabian Style

Saeb, Mohammad Reza, Paulina Wiśniewska, Agnieszka Susik, Łukasz Zedler, Henri Vahabi, Xavier Colom, Javier Cañavate, Agnieszka Tercjak, and Krzysztof Formela. 2022. "GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties?" Materials 15, no. 3: 841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030841

APA Style

Saeb, M. R., Wiśniewska, P., Susik, A., Zedler, Ł., Vahabi, H., Colom, X., Cañavate, J., Tercjak, A., & Formela, K. (2022). GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties? Materials, 15(3), 841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030841

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