Valorization of Selected Polymers and Incompatible Blends Using Not-So-Common Processing Methods

There is a significant need to add value to existing high-volume polymeric materials, from commodity polyolefins through engineering plastics and elastomers. Of particular interest are approaches that are scalable, scrap-less, and solvent-free. We will discuss two initiatives that attempt to address these needs: (1) cold-rolling, well-known in the ductile metals industry but less appreciated for the processing of semi-crystalline plastics, and (2) fiber production via a unique variant of multi-layer co-extrusion. Cold-rolling has been shown to increase the toughness of the engineering thermoplastic poly(p-phenylene sulfide) and the biodegradable polyester poly(l-lactic acid) without the aid of toughening agents, and is being explored to improve the mechanical properties of otherwise incompatible polymer blends. Fiber fabrication of incompatible HDPE/PP blends via co-extrusion has been studied, and mechanical properties of blends fibers with those of pure components will be compared. Advantages of both approaches will be discussed.