The Effect of Phthalocyanine Pigments on the Crosslinking Kinetics and Physico-Mechanical Properties of a Composite Material Based on LDPE

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study of the effect of phthalocyanine pigments, in particular, α-modification (Blue 15:3) and excessively halogenated chlorin (Green 7) on the crosslinking kinetics and properties of a composite material based on high-pressure polyethylene (LDPE) processed by compression two-stage chemical foaming. The main attention is paid to the analysis of kinetic curves and physico-mechanical parameters: strength and elongation at break. The study was based on a comparison of the kinetics of crosslinking compositions with the addition of a crosslinking agent, a crosslinking agent and a blue pigment (Blue 15:3), a crosslinking agent and a green pigment (Green 7). Experiments show that the addition of phthalocyanine pigments affects crosslinking kinetics and physico-mechanical properties. Given the uniform nature of the pigments, it is worth paying attention to the different effects of each of them, which is presumably explained by the different molecular compositions. The data obtained open new prospects in compounding, in optimizing technological modes, and can also serve to create LDPE materials with predictable characteristics for compositions processed by two-stage pressing. The paper investigates the changes in the nature of the kinetic curve of the crosslinking process with the addition or absence of pigments of a specific nature, as well as their effect on the physico-mechanical properties of the resulting material. The results of the study confirmed the effect of pigments on the stitching process and, as a result, on the performance properties of the material. Kinetic curves indicated an acceleration of the stitching process, as well as an increase in the density of the resulting vulcanization mesh.