title: High-strength welds in metallocene Polypropylene/Polyethylene laminates
abstract: Spectacular advances in organometallic chemistry over the past two decades have resulted in single-site catalysts that are revolutionizing production of polyethylene (PE) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP). This report describes an unanticipated benefit of metallocene-catalyzed semicrystalline polyolefins, namely welded joint strengths in PE/iPP laminates that can exceed the cohesive strength of the constituents. We propose that interfacial polymer entanglements, established in the molten state and subsequently anchored in chain-folded lamellae upon crystallization, are responsible for this intrinsic property. The poor adhesion exhibited by traditional Ziegler-Natta-catalyzed polyolefins is shown to derive from the accumulation of amorphous polymer, a by-product of the polymerization reactions, at the interface. These results should facilitate fabrication and improve the properties of composites based on materials that dominate the plastics industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Exxon Chemical Company, Baytown Polymers Center, Baytown, TX 77522, USA.
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Chaffin
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Knutsen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brant
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bates