Blending of post-consumer polyolefins/HIPS has been exploited for obtaining special films with a desired set of properties, which has required studies to understand the behavior of these materials. In this work the effects of commercial multiblock styrene-butadiene (SBS) and linear triblock styrene-(ethylene-co-butylene)-styrene (SEBS) copolymers in blends of post-consumer high density polyethylene (HDPE) and HIPS are reported. Thermal properties and phase morphology were comparatively analyzed for the additives aiming at verifying possible correlations between them. Decreased dimensions of the minor micro phase along with HDPE surface roughness after HIPS selective extraction, independently of the matrix being HIPS or HDPE, showed better effectiveness for SEBS as interfacial tension modifier or as surfactant at the different domains interface when compared with SBS. The results of thermal characterizations, e.g. lower HDPE melting temperature, lower degree of crystallinity, and higher polystyrene glass transition temperature in the presence of SEBS corroborated with this conclusion as it will be discussed further.
Post consumer HDPE/HIPS; blends; recycling; compatibilization; morphology; thermal characterization
