Introduction

Due to its capacity to create products that are scratch-resistant, have a high level of impact strength, and are flexible at low temperatures, polyolefin elastomers (POE) have become widely used in a variety of sectors. However, POE compounds don’t work well with polar polymers, which restricts their application in several sectors.

POE that has been grafted with maleic anhydride can be effectively modified chemically using POE-g-MAH. Maleic anhydride (MA) is grafted onto the POE backbone in this method to provide a reducing agent that facilitates simple compatibility with polar materials. The characteristics and functionality of the POE are improved by this grafting reaction.

The MA grafting reaction’s success is heavily influenced by the grafting ratio since it has a big impact on the end product’s qualities. A thorough analysis is required to investigate how the grafting ratio influences the characteristics of POE-g-MAH.

The purpose of this study is to shed light on how the grafting ratio affects the mechanical, thermal, and rheological characteristics of POE-g-MAH.

Technical Features

For industrial applications, POE-g-MAH’s mechanical characteristics are crucial since they determine how well the modified material can endure stress. The molecular weight and crosslink density of the resultant POE-g-MAH are both impacted by the grafting ratio, which also has an impact on the mechanical characteristics of the resulting POE-g-MAH.

The POE-g-MAH has a larger molecular weight when the grafting ratio is high. Similar to this, when the grafting ratio rises, so does the crosslink density of the POE-g-MAH. Both actions cause the POE-g-MAH to become more stiff, which raises its tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and hardness.

The POE-g-MAH advantages in terms of mechanical characteristics, however, can be offset by a high grafting ratio’s tendency to make the material brittle. Therefore, while altering POE, a delicate balance between grafting ratio and mechanical characteristics must be achieved.

Thermal Feature

POE-g-MAH’s thermal characteristics are essential for many industrial applications. The glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting point (Tm) of the changed material are the main ways that the grafting ratio impacts the thermal characteristics of MA-g-POE.

The Tg and Tm of the POE-g-MAH move higher at large grafting ratios. This phenomenon, brought on by the material’s increased stiffness, improves its capacity to endure high-temperature applications.

However, if the grafting ratio is too high, the Tg and Tm of the resultant material may rise over the necessary level, degrading the MA-g-POE’s thermal characteristics. Therefore, choosing the ideal grafting ratio is crucial to enhancing MA-g-POE’s thermal characteristics.

Rheological Characteristics

The behavior of POE-g-MAH under deformation is described by its rheological characteristics. Shear deformation occurs during the processing of MA-g-POE, which may have an impact on the final product’s characteristics. The ideal process conditions for MA-g-POE can only be determined by taking into account rheological features.

By regulating the entanglement between the POE chains, the grafting ratio influences the rheological characteristics of POE-g-MAH. A high grafting ratio causes the polymer chains to become more entangled, which raises the viscosity of the resultant POE-g-MAH solution.

In addition, a high grafting ratio may cause the molecular weight of the chain’s entanglements to rise, increasing the material’s strength. A high grafting ratio, however, might also result in an unfavorable rise in the solution’s viscosity, making processing problematic.

Conclusion

Maleic anhydride grafting is a dependable method of POE modification that yields materials with enhanced characteristics suitable for a range of industrial applications. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological characteristics of the finished product are impacted by changing the grafting ratio of the POE-g-MAH. However, a high grafting ratio can potentially have a detrimental impact on the characteristics of POE-g-MAH. Maximizing the MA-g-POE’s potential for application requires striking a compromise between the grafting ratio and its physical characteristics.