Modeling recycled polymeric matrix composites: A social-environmental solution

Municipalities are increasingly concerned about a 25% increase in plastic waste generation per year while the landfill cost is also increasing at a 7.5% annual rate. One possible solution to such a problem is the recycling procedure. The purpose of this paper is drawing the potential use of fully recycled melt-blended matrices in polymeric matrix composites, and its application for the construction of low cost houses in developing countries. To achieve such a goal a two-step homogenization procedure is proposed. The melt-blended matrix is homogenized by applying the concentric spheres model under weak interface condition and the linear functional of transformation. The overall composite effective properties are estimated from the composite cylinder assemblage model under weak interface condition for each lamina. Finite element simulation of beam problem is performed to evaluate the possible application of recycled polymeric matrix composites into the construction of low cost houses: the results are compared against conventional materials.