Effect of thermochromic pigments on the optical and microrheological behavior in polyethylene
摘要
In this work was evaluated the optical and microrheological properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containing orange and purple pigments. The additivated HDPE was mixed in a twin-screw extruder at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 weight% (wt%) of pigments. The filaments were obtained in a single-screw extruder, and the disc-type specimens were obtained by injection moulding. The characterizations were performed by visual appearance, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrometry, parallel- plate rheometer, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and malleability of the filaments. The results showed that the purple pigment had a smaller average capsule diameter than the orange pigment, while both had the same chemical composition as confirmed by EDS and FTIR. The average diameter of the thermochromic pigments produced changes in the thermal and rheological properties of the mixtures. The evaluated properties indicated the possibility of producing filaments with thermochromic characteristics that could be applied in the textile and food industries as well as in additive manufacturing.