Rheological and mechanical behavior of the UHMWPE/MDPE mixtures

An attempt was made to melt incorporate ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, UHMWPE, into medium density polyethylene, MDPE. The behavior of the mixtures, containing up to 6 wt percent of UHMWPE, was examined using mechanical and rheological testing. The mechanical test results were found to contain large experimental errors, which makes interpretation very difficult. On the other hand, melt rheology studies, using dynamic and extensional deformations, gave direct insight into the extent and effect of blending. Degradation during the processing was evaluated by size exclusion chromatography. The degree of dispersion of the UHMWPE was examined under the optical microscope.