Recycling of inside upholstery of end-of-life cars

A model study for the recycling of the interior upholstery plastic parts of end-of-life cars has been carried out by reprocessing the homogenized scraps of an upholstery farm in the presence of different compatibilizer precursors, such as an ethylene-glycidylmethacrylate copolymer (EGMA), a maleic anhydride functionalized thermoplastic elastomer (SEBS-MA), etc. The investigated scraps contained recycled polyethylene (from agricultural uses) and poly(ethylene terephthalate), as the main components, plus minor proportions of polypropylene, polyamide-6, and other additives, including an ethylene copolymer (EC), probably an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, which is used to compatibilize the carpets' backing and increase their flexibility. The reactive blending experiments were carried out using a Brabender Plasticorder static mixer and a Brabender twin-screw compounder, and the products were characterized by rheometry, differential scanning calorimetry, scan-ning electron microscopy, stress-strain measurements, etc. It was shown that EGMA was most effective for the reactive compatibilization of the polyolefin and poly(ethylene terephthalate) components of the scraps. It was also found, however, that the EC contained in the upholstery backing neutralizes in part the functional epoxy groups of EGMA, thus reducing its compatibilizing efficiency. The results suggest that substitution of EC with an inert flexibilizing agent, such as an ethylene-propylene copolymer, and use of small amounts (similar to 5%) of an EGMA compatibilizer, might allow recycling of used upholstery into injection moldable plastic articles. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.