Recycling of used polyethylene through solvent blending of plasticized polyhydroxybutyrate and its degradation potential

• Published in: Composites. Part C, Open access Vol. 2; p. 100021
• Main Authors: Babaniyi, Raphael Babafemi, Afolabi, Femi Johnson, Obagunwa, Monday Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.10.2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Blending; Plasticizer; Polyhydroxybutyrate; Recycling; Used polyethylene; Water uptake and degradation; Used polyethylene; Plasticizer; Recycling; Blending; Water uptake and degradation; Polyhydroxybutyrate
• ISSN: 2666-6820; 2666-6820
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomc.2020.100021

•Polyhydroxybutyrate.•Polyethylene.•Mechanical properties.•Degradation.•Blending. The use of plastics has increased in every aspect of our daily activities, they are cheap, durable, and resistant to corrosion, lightweight, degradation and can be readily moulded into various products. Solution to non-renewable source, management of plastics wastes and disposal has posed a great challenge to environments and the researchers on the alternative means. As such, biodegradable plastics come forth, as adequate substitute. The aim of this study is to blend degradable polymer, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) with used polyethylene (UPE) as a means of recycling. The PHB granules was weighed and UPE in percentages (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %). Solvent casting method (xylene) was used. The FTIR of the blends showed peaks at 2210.229 cm−1 which correspond to peak of commercial PHB used. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed peaks at 38° indicated C-H-O=C hydrogen bond between the C=O group and CH3. The proportion of PHB blended with used PE at 15 % (15 g U/PE, 3 g PHB, and 2 g plasticizer) in the blends gave the highest maximum tensile strength. The water absorption for all the U/PHB blends was higher compared to the UPE and PHB blended .It was observed that weight loss increased as the number of days increases from 30 days to 90 days in the soil degradation study while there was reduction in the sizes and weights of the composite at the end of 21 days degradation study in slurry.