Valorization of Polypropylene Waste in the Production of New Materials with Adequate Mechanical and Thermal Properties for Environmental Protection

• Published in: Materials Vol. 15; no. 17; p. 5978
• Main Authors: Râpă, Maria, Spurcaciu, Bogdan Norocel, Ion, Rodica-Mariana, Grigorescu, Ramona Marina, Darie-Niță, Raluca Nicoleta, Iancu, Lorena, Nicolae, Cristian-Andi, Gabor, Augusta Raluca, Matei, Ecaterina, Predescu, Cristian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 29.08.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Block copolymers; Butadiene; Clay; Clothing industry; Compatibilizers; Composite materials; Copolymers; crystallinity; Dynamic mechanical analysis; Elastomers; Environmental protection; High density polyethylenes; Impact strength; Instrument industry; Isoprene; Lithium; mechanical and thermal properties; Mechanical properties; Melt blending; melt processing; Molecular weight; Morphology; Optical microscopy; Plastics; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polymer matrix composites; Polymerization; Polymers; Polyolefins; Polypropylene; polypropylene waste; Polystyrene resins; Recycling; Styrenes; Surface active agents; Tensile strength; Thermal properties; Thermodynamic properties; Thermogravimetric analysis; thermoplastic elastomer; Viscosity; Zeolites; United States; Romania
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma15175978

Innovative composites based on polypropylene waste impurified cu HDPE (PPW) combined with two thermoplastic block-copolymers, namely styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSBC) and styrene-isoprene-styrene (SISBC) block-copolymers, and up to 10 wt% nano-clay, were obtained by melt blending. SBSBC and SISBC with almost the same content of polystyrene (30 wt%) were synthesized by anionic sequential polymerization and used as compatibilizers for PPW. Optical microscopy evaluation of the PPW composites showed that the n-clay was encapsulated into the elastomer. Addition of n-clay, together with SBSBC or SISBC, increased the interphase surface of the components in the PPW composites and enhanced the superficial area/volume ratio, which led to a recycled material with improved performance. The data resulting from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mechanical evaluation, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that PPW reinforcement with n-clay and styrene-diene block-copolymers allows the obtaining of composites with favorable mechanical and thermal properties, and excellent impact strength for potential engineering applications.