Mixed post-consumer recycled polyolefins as a property tuning material for virgin polypropylene

被引:35
作者
Curtzwiler, Greg W. [1 ,2 ,3 ]
Schweitzer, Matthew [1 ,5 ]
Li, Yifan [4 ]
Jiang, Shan [1 ,4 ]
Vorst, Keith L. [1 ,2 ,3 ]
机构
[1] Iowa State Univ, Polymer & Food Protect Consortium, 536 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011 USA
[2] Iowa State Univ, Dept Food Sci & Human Nutr, 536 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011 USA
[3] Ideopak LLC, 1568 Food Sci Bldg,536 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, IA 50011 USA
[4] Iowa State Univ, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, 528 Bissell Rd, Ames, IA 50011 USA
[5] Iowa State Univ, Dept Chem & Biol Engn, 618 Bissell Rd, Ames, IA 50011 USA
关键词
Recycling; Post-consumer recycled; Polyolefin; Polypropylene; Polyethylene; Plastic processing; ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULATE MATTER; MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES; POLYURETHANE FOAM; POLYETHYLENE; PLASTICS; WASTE;
D O I
10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117978
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
Polyethylene and polypropylene are widely used packaging materials that are commonly present in the same waste-streams (e.g., beverage bottle enclosures, laminated flexible packaging). Since these immiscible plastics are difficult to separate with current recycling practices, it is critical to understand the influence of mixed polyolefin post-consumer recycled feedstock composition on key performance properties of recycled blends for widespread industrial adoption. This research comprehensively characterized the optical, thermal, mechanical, morphological, and gas barrier properties of melt blended virgin polypropylene/mixed post-consumer recycled polyolefin materials at different blend ratios. The results strongly indicate that polyolefin beverage container enclosures can be melt blended with virgin polypropylene to tune physical performance properties (74% increased yield stress, 49% increased strain at yield, 160% increased UV blocking, 30-40% gas transmission reduction) and simultaneously reduce environmental contamination. Most measured properties followed the Law of Mixtures which enables highly predictable and tunable properties via precision melt blending of post-consumer recycled and virgin plastic. We hypothesize that increased compatibilization of polyolefin amorphous regions from plastic oxidation and structural changes in the plastic crystalline domains directly influence plastic physical properties. These data fill current knowledge gaps that post-consumer materials can provide value beyond sustainability to justify innovative landfill diversion strategies and realize a more circular economy. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
引用
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页数:11
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