The effects of controlled aging and blending of low- and high-density polyethylenes, polypropylene and polystyrene on their thermal degradation studied by pyrolysis gas chromatography

• Published in: Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 177 - 185
• Main Authors: Doležal, Zdeněk, Pacáková, Věra, Kovářová, Jana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-02-2001
• Subjects: Blending; Controlled aging; Polyolefins; Polystyrene; Pyrolysis gas chromatography; Controlled aging; Pyrolysis gas chromatography; Blending; Polystyrene; Polyolefins
• ISSN: 0165-2370; 1873-250X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0165-2370(00)00107-8

The effects of controlled thermal aging (oven-aging at 100°C in air), blending and compatibilization of high and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) on the composition of the pyrolysis products were studied. No qualitative changes in the pyrolysis products were found due to the polymer aging or compatibilization. However, it was found that the relative amount of the pyrolysis products of LDPE and PS and of the blends, LDPE/PP and HDPE/PS, was influenced by the thermal aging, while in the case of well stabilized HDPE and PP homopolymers, no effect of the aging process on thermal degradation was observed. Moreover, the relative amount of pyrolysis products of polymer blends (LDPE/PP and HDPE/PS) was found to be exponentially dependent on their composition. The process of reactive compatibilization increased thermal stability of blended polymers and, consequently, the abundance of pyrolysis products was also changed.