Maleated PP (Aria Couple PP-g-MA)
Aria Polymer PP Coupling Agent (PP Compatibilizer or maleated PP), known as Aria Couple PP-g-MA is a maleic anhydride functionalized polypropylene. It has been primarily designed to act as a compatibilizer between PP and polar components such as talc, , wood flour, glass fiber, starch, etc.
The functionalization of PP by maleic anhydride is an effective way to increase the polarity of polypropylene in order to enhance its tendency to polar materials so that we can improve properties of polypropylene compounds.
Indeed, Aria Couple facilitates the blending of polymers with different polarities or different viscosities. Also, it is suitable for improving compatibility between two polymers and achieving optimum properties of blending.
Polypropylene is one of the most important thermoplastics in the polymer industry. It plays an important role among the other polymers due to its versatile and broad range of applications. It is extensively used in a wide range of applications including packaging, home appliances, medical equipment, automotive parts, etc. One of the most prominent advantages of PP is its ability to achieve a variety of properties when compounded by various additives. Some of these additives and their properties are as follows:
- Adding a reinforcement agent such as glass fiber (GF) improves the mechanical properties like dimensional and thermal stability and increases the tensile modulus;
- Adding fillers such as talc and reduces the cost of polypropylene compounds;
- Adding polar polymers such as nylon increases stiffness, permeability, thermal stability and paintability of polypropylene;
- Adding special additives such as , makes PP flame retardant.
Why to use Aria Couple?
One the most important challenges of adding polar components to PP is the weak interfacial adhesion and poor dispersion of the dispersed phase or the filler in the PP polymeric matrix phase. This phenomenon usually occurs due to the difference between surface energy of two phases and also their polarity difference.
Aria Couple is an effective compatibilizer to increase compatibility of PP and polar components. Actually, it acts as a compatibilizer and is used to enhance interfacial adhesion in polymer compounds e.g. PP/PA, PP/PET, PP/NBR which are immiscible and also polar components such as talc, CaCO3, glass fiber, etc.
Aria Couple has a dual functionality on its structure i.e. it can react from polar functional carboxylic acid group with the polar groups of the polymer backbone or with the polar component of the mineral fillers and from another nonpolar functionality can react with nonpolar groups of the polymer matrix. The molecules of maleated PP are located at the interfaces and it improves stability of the two phases; it results in compatibility of phases and also finer dispersion of filler particles.
In a PP/filler composition, Aria Couple plays an important role in controlling the dispersed-phase size and compatibilize the polar fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate, kaolinite, mica, etc. with nonpolar polymers; indeed, it acts as a surfactant. Generally, in a blend produced by melting process, as the dispersed phase becomes smaller and more uniform, the morphology of the blend is more stable and consequent; it also avoids agglomeration of filler particles, so there is an increase in the mechanical properties.
Aria Couple is also a good option to be applied as a coupling agent in PP/GF compounds. The PP-g-MA is able to make covalent bonds with functional groups of GF and also leads to strong interphase due to its compatibility with matrix. The elimination of poor adhesion between GF and PP by coupling agent cause considerable enhancement in mechanical properties.
By compounding PP and PA as a new alloy in many applications, the necessity of compatibilizer in polymeric blends reaches optimum mechanical properties. Among various compatibilizers, PP-g-MA is a typical coupling agent for interphase modifying. The chemical interaction of maleic anhydride as polar groups with amine function in PA can form a new structure to improve interactions between the two phases. The structural stability and morphology of the blends are improved greatly by Aria Couple which causes to form the in-situ reaction of anhydride groups with the amino end groups of nylons.
Some of the most prominent specifications of Aria Couple:
- Almost no residual chemicals
- High grafting degree
- Requiring less amount of PP-g-MA to achieve good compatibility, by grafting high level of maleic anhydride
- Being Odorless
Maleated PP of Aria Polymer Pishgam
Aria Polymer Pishgam has developed a variety of PP-g-MA for a wide range of polymeric compounds and mineral fillers. These compatibilizers are offered in a variety of grades and provide everything you would expect from an ideal polymer compound. Some of the general specifications of the products are as follows:
Aria Couple 1431 can improve optimum dispersion and distribution of glass fiber in polymer matrix and minimum crack in PP/GF morphology. It also improves mechanical properties e.g. tensile strength, impact resistance and flexural modulus.
Aria Couple 1432 can improve dispersion & distribution of filler in polymer matrix. It also eliminates output variation and improves overall mechanical properties of final products.
Aria Couple 1432T112 is designed for improving mechanical properties of PP/GF compounds. IT is high melt flow rate which could enhance the wetting ability of the polymer matrix.
Aria Couple 1433 can improve dimensional stability and increase smooth surface of PP/Wood products it also eliminates output variation and improves mechanical properties e.g. tensile strength, impact properties and flexural modulus.
Aria Couple 1406 can improve interfacial adhesion between the filler and polymer matrix. It also causes a good filler dispersion and enhancement of mechanical properties of final products.
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