Polypropylene-based multiphase compositions with a disperse elastomer phase provide superior impact strength. Making this property indifferent to processing steps requires stabilization of the morphology of these materials. Various approaches have been tested over time, each of which shows limitations in terms of performance or applicability. Using polyethylene (PE) homo- and copolymers capable of silane-based crosslinking as modifiers was explored in the present study, which allows decoupling of the mixing and crosslinking processes. Commercial silane-copolymerized low-density PE (LD-PEX) from a high-pressure process and silane-grafted high-density PE (HD-PEX) were studied as impact modifiers for different types of PP copolymers, including non-modified reference PE grades, LDPE and HDPE. Blends based on ethylene-propylene random copolymers (PPR) and based on impact- (PPI) and random-impact (PPRI) copolymers show improvements of the stiffness-impact balance; however, to different degrees. While the absolute softest and most ductile compositions are achieved with the already soft PPRI copolymer base, the strongest relative effects are found for the PPR based blends. Modifiers with lower density are clearly superior in the toughening effect, with the LD-PEX including acrylate as second comonomer sticking out due to its glass transition around -40 °C. The impact strength improvement found in most compositions (except at very high content) results, however, not from the expected phase stabilization. For comparable systems, particle sizes are normally higher with crosslinking, probably because the process already starts during mixing. Thermoplastic processability could be retained in all cases, but the drop in melt flow rate limits the practical applicability of such systems.
Keywords: crosslinking; mechanics; morphology; multiphase; polyethylene; polypropylene; rheology.