Properties of the Blends of Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate and Ethylene--Olefins Copolymers

The effect of the vinyl acetate (VA) content on the thermal, viscoelastic, rheological, morphological and mechanical behaviors in various blends of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)/ethylene-$\alpha$-olefin copolymers was investigated using 28, 22 and $15 mol\%$ of VA in EVA. In the DSC melting and crystallization thermograms of all of the EVA systems blended with ethylene-$\alpha$-olefin copolymers, discrete peaks were observed which were related to the constituents. In the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, the storage modulus increased with increasing content of ethylene-$\alpha$-olefin copolymers. In addition, the transition regions relating to the tan bpeaks varied with the VA content. The crossover point between G' and G" varied depending on the VA contents, and shear-thinning was more prominent in the EVA/EtBC system. In the SEM investigation, a discrete phase morphology was observed in both the EVA/EtBC and EVA/EtOC blends, but the contrast improved with decreasing VA content. However, the tensile strength and modulus improved, but the elongation at break reduced with decreasing VA content, implying that the ethylene-$\alpha$-olefin copolymers play the role of reinforcing materials. Thus, the EVA and ethylene-$\alpha$-olefin components in the copolymers are immiscible in the molten and solid states, but are nevertheless mechanically compatible.