Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.81, No.10, 2545-2549, 2001
Reactive processing of polyethylenes on a single screw extruder
The modification of low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene, and their blend by dicumyl peroxide at the time of the extrusion on a single screw extruder is reported. The study shows that the optimum conditions of modification can be determined on a torque rheometer and these can then be applied for actual extrusion. A low level of crosslinking can be introduced by reactive extrusion for improving the heat stability without adversely affecting the processing behavior.