Morphology of polyethylene blended with thermotropic hydroxyethyl cellulose acetate

Morphology of low-density polyethylene (PE)/thermotropic hydroxyethyl cellulose acetate (HECA) blends, and the melting and crystallization behavior of PE in the blends were studied. The "sea island" morphology was observed in PE/HECA blends. The process of melting and crystallization of PE in blends was independent of the HECA fraction when the PE fraction was larger than 50 wt %. When the PE fraction is smaller than 20 wt %, however, multiple crystallization was observed in the low temperature region. HECA was incompatible with PE crystals in the blends, but partially compatible with the amorphous part of PEI HECA could exist between the PE lamellae in PE spherulites, and concentric ring morphology was observed in spherulites. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.