Effects of the compatibilizer PE-g-GMA on the mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of virgin and reprocessed LDPE/corn starch blends

The effects of the compatibilizer polyethylene grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (PE‐g‐GMA) on the properties of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) (virgin and reprocessed)/corn starch blends were studied. LDPE (virgin and reprocessed)/corn starch blends containing 30, 40 and 50 wt% starch, with or without compatibilizer, were prepared by extrusion and characterized by the melt flow index (MFI), tensile test, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA) and light microscopy. The addition of starch to LDPE reduced the MFI values, the tensile strength and the elongation at break, whereas the modulus increased. The decreases in the MFI and tensile properties were most evident when 40 and 50 wt% starch were added. Blends containing 3 wt% PE‐g‐GMA had higher tensile strength values and lower MFI values than blends without compatibilizer. Light microscopy showed that increasing the starch content resulted in a continuous phase of starch. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.