Abstract: The rheology, crystallization, and melting behaviors of PTT/mPE blends prepared by twin-screw extruder were studied. The influence of compatibilizer on the phase morphology of the blends and their mechanical property were also studied. All PTT/mPE blends were pseudo-plastic fluid, and their apparent viscosity decreased rapidly with increasing PTT content. The more content the mPE, the less the temperature sensitivity, and the poor the processability of the blends. Although PTT and mPE crystallized separately, the presence of mPE increased the crystallization temperature. However, PTT did not affect the crystallization behavior of mPE. The morphology of the fractured surface suggested that EPDM-g-MAH constituted a good compatibilizer for PTT and mPE. The blend possessed improved impact strength due to the toughening effect of mPE component.

Key words: poly(trimethylene terephthalate), metallocene-catalyzed polyethylene, rheology, melting, crystallization