Young’s modulus and prediction of plastics/elastomer blends

Abstract

The tensile stress and strain under small deformation for plastics/elastomer blends were analyzed, based on a geometric model and mechanical element model, and a Young’s modulus equation was derived based on the hypothesis with equal strain and Hooke’s law. The polypropylene (PP)/polyolefin elastomer (POE) blends were prepared by means of a twin screw extruder, and the Young’s modulus was measured at room temperature. It was found that the Young’s modulus decreased nonlinearly with increase in the POE volume fraction. The Young’s modulus of the PP/POE blends was estimated using the equation and was compared with the measured data. There was good agreement between them. Moreover, the Young’s modulus of PP/ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber EPDM blends at room temperature was estimated respectively using this equation and the mingling rule equation, as well as Liang’s equation published in the literature. The results showed that the calculations with this equation were closer to the experimental data reported in reference than those with the other two equations.