Morphological and mechanical properties of polyamide 6/linear low density polyethylene blend compatibilized by electron-beam initiated mediation process

• PA6/LLDPE blend was compatibilized by the electron-beam initiated mediation process.
• Interfacial adhesion was significantly enhanced by the radiation initiated cross-copolymerization.
• The elongation at break of blend irradiated at 100 kGy was 4 times higher than PA6.
• The GMA as a mediator played a key role in the electron-beam initiated mediation process.

The aim of this study was to compatibilize immiscible polyamide 6 (PA6)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) blend by using electron-beam initiated mediation process. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was chosen as a mediator for cross-copolymerization at the interface between PA6 and LLDPE. The exposure process was carried out to initiate cross-copolymerization by the medium of GMA at the interface between PA and LLDPE. The mixture of the PA6/LLDPE/GMA was prepared by using a twin-screw extruder, and then the mixture was exposed to electron-beam radiation at various doses at room temperature. To investigate the results of this compatibilization strategy, the morphological and mechanical properties of the blend were analyzed. Morphology study revealed that the diameters of the dispersion particles decreased and the interfacial adhesion increased with respect to irradiation doses. The elongation at break of the blends increases significantly with increasing irradiation dose up to 100 kGy while the tensile strength and the modulus increased nonlinearly with increasing irradiation dose. The reaction mechanisms of the mediation process with the GMA mediator at the interface between PA6 and LLDPE were estimated.