Research progress on compatibilizers for physical blending recycling of polyolefins

Physical blending recycling serves as an important pathway for polyolefin recycling owing to its economic attractiveness and low energy consumption. However, poor compatibility between the components of waste polyolefin blends often leads to weak interfacial adhesion and significantly compromised mechanical properties, which severely limit their industrial application. Developing efficient compatibilizers is crucial for enhancing the interfacial compatibility and mechanical performance of polyolefin blends. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in the design of compatibilizers and the regulation of blend systems. A series of novel compatibilizers has been developed to effectively promote interfacial compatibility and improve the properties of multicomponent polyolefins through mechanisms such as crystalline domain anchoring, chain entanglement, and phase structure regulation, thereby facilitating the high-value recycling of waste polyolefins. This review systematically elaborates on the design strategies and property regulation mechanisms of compatibilizers, and provides perspectives on the development of multifunctional compatibilizers for large-scale applications, aiming to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the sustainable upcycling of polyolefin waste.