Preparação e caracterização de elastômeros reticulados dinamicamente de PA6-12/EVA

Abstract

Polymeric materials having good mechanical properties combined with flexibility are requirements to meet changing needs of the industry. These requirements can be met with the production of dynamically vulcanized/crosslinked elastomers (TPVs). TPVs are generally produced from blends between immiscible polymers. In this study, was evaluated the production of TPVs from polyamide 6-12 (PA-612) and random copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA) using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as crosslinking agent (1, 4 and 8 phr in relation to the elastomeric phase) prepared in a batch mixer. The polymer blends were processed using the PA6-12/EVA 50/50 wt. %/wt.% in a torque rheometer (120 rpm, 15 min and 200 °C). The addition of higher DCP contents in the blends results in increase of the stabilized torque values, torque rate due to the crosslink formation, which results in a gel contents from 2,6 to 17 wt.%. The blend PA 6-12/EVA 50/50 has ~99% of interconnected phase, for the blends with in smaller EVA contents are formed disperse phase morphology with sizes from 0.64 to 1.57 μm. For the polymers systems dynamically crosslinked, the morphology was dependent on DCP addition, due to reduced mobility of the EVA phase. This system has morphology with well-defined contours and an interfacial thickness of 7.3-7.6 nm. The mechanical forces action during melt processing resulted in partial fragmentation of the EVA phase. The PA6-12/EVA blends are immiscible, since the DMTA experiments two glass transitions were observed, characteristics of each pure polymer, and also by the interfacial tension value of the system (4.62 mN/m). The crystallinity index remains constant for blends, however, an increase was observed in the lamellar long period (Lp), this effect associated with the increase of the amorphous fraction of the system. This occurs because the EVA chains being located adjacent to the amorphous portion of PA 6-12 due to the presence of secondary interactions between amide and acetate groups. The dynamic crosslinking of the PA612/EVA system, results in increases of the stiffness, on the other hand not able to promote increases in mechanical properties as well as improvement in elastic recovery due to the formation of phase morphology with partial fragmentation of the EVA.