Preparation and Physical Properties of LLDPE Grafted with Novel Nonionic Surfactants

Copolymers of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) grafted with two novel nonionic surfactants, acrylic glycerol monostearate ester (AGMS) and acrylic polyoxyethylenesorbitan monooleate ester (ATWEEN80), containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups and 1-olefin double bond were prepared by using a plasticorder at 190°C. To evaluate the grafting degree, two different approaches based on 1H-NMR data were proposed, and FTIR calibration was showed to validate these methods. The rheological response of the molten polymers, determined under dynamic shear flow at small-amplitude oscillations, indicated that crosslinking formation of the chains could be decreased with increasing the monomer concentration. Their thermal behavior was studied by DSC and polarization microscope (PLM): The crystallization temperature (TC) of grafted LLDPE shifted to higher temperature compared with neat LLDPE because the grafted chains acted as nucleating agents. Water and glycerol were used to calculate the surface free energy of grafted LLDPE films. The results indicated that the novel polyoxyethylene surfactant ATWEEN80 could greatly improve the hydrophilicity of LLDPE and the surface free energy varied from 33 mN/m of neat LLDPE to 106 mN/m of the grafted LLDPE film.