Influence of composition of vulcanizing system on structure and properties of dynamically vulcanized blends of isotactic polypropylene with ethylene-propylene-diene elastomer

The structure of polypropylene and its blends with ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer containing the unvulcanized and the vulcanized rubber phase was studied by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, DSC, and NMR relaxation. It was shown that partial formation of the beta form of polypropylene crystals took place during the dynamic vulcanization of the blends. The temperature and the enthalpy of melting of the blends remained unchanged, regardless of the presence of the beta phase. By means of the NMR relaxation technique, it was established that an increase in the elastomer content led to alteration in the structure of amorphous regions of the blend. The character of plastic flow of the initial blends is determined by both the component ratio and the composition of the vulcanizing system. The amount of the beta phase of PP had no effect of the yield stress of the blends. The ultimate strength and elongation at break do not depend on the vulcanizing-system composition at ethylene-propylene-diene elastomer volume fractions less than 0. 5. It was shown that equations based on the model of minimal cross section fit with the experimental results for the yield stress and the tensile strength of the PP-elastomer blends depending on the component ratio.