Oligobetapinene as barrier improver to CO2 of HDPE in thin films of binary blends

Quenched thin films (about 100 microns thick) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) / oligobetapinene (OBP) blends were prepared by melt mixing with the amount of OBP varying from 0 to 40%. The results of CO2 permeation, thermal behavior and morphology are reported. From -130 to -100 °C we observed two peaks in DSC measurements, the lower one being ascribed to g-transition of HDPE. The upper one attributed to Tg which was shift at high contents of OBP. The OPB molecules also displayed another transition at higher temperatures. The normalized degree of crystallinity of HDPE remained constant while the overall crystallinity of the blends was reduced in all blends. We have hypothesized that three distinct phases coexist, viz. a HDPE-amorphous phase with some amount of OBP molecules, OBP-amorphous phase with polyolefin and HDPE-crystalline phases. The permeation test revealed a decrease in permeability to CO2 independent of the amount of OBP in the blends. The reduction of gas permeation could be explained mainly by the rigidity of the OBP rich phase that has counterbalanced the decrease of overall crystallinity of the film blends.