Polymer Network Mobility and Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance of High Density Polyethylene

• Published in: Polymer-plastics technology and engineering Vol. 48; no. 12; pp. 1252 - 1261
• Main Authors: Cheng, Joy J., Polak, Maria A., Penlidis, Alexander
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2009; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chain entanglements; Environmental stress cracking resistance; Exact sciences and technology; High density; High density polyethylene; Mechanical properties; Networks; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polyethylenes; Polymer network mobility; Properties and characterization; Rheology and viscoelasticity; Strain hardening; Stress cracking; High density polyethylene; Non ionic surfactant; High density ethylene polymer; Mechanical properties; Surfactant polymer; Tensile property; Experimental study; Ethylene oxide polymer; Shear viscosity; Cyclic ether polymer; Stress cracking; Molecular mobility; Olefin polymer; Property structure relationship; Polymer network mobility; Chemical stress; Molecular entanglement; Chain entanglements; Strain hardening; Environmental stress cracking resistance; Rheological properties
• ISSN: 0360-2559; 1525-6111
• DOI: 10.1080/03602550903159085

Zero shear viscosity and molecular weight between entanglements (M e ) are determined from dynamic oscillatory shear experiments. Lower M e value means higher number of entanglements in the system and is associated with increasing strain hardening stiffness. With the understanding that strain hardening is related to environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) of high density polyethylene (HDPE), M e is then related to the ESCR of several resins in this study. The inversely proportional relationship between M e and ESCR indicates that low network mobility due to an increasing number of chain entanglements increases the ESCR of HDPE.