Valorization of Polypropylene Waste in the Production of New Materials with Adequate Mechanical and Thermal Properties for Environmental Protection |
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Authors: | Maria Râ pă ,Bogdan Norocel Spurcaciu,Rodica-Mariana Ion,Ramona Marina Grigorescu,Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niț ă ,Lorena Iancu,Cristian-Andi Nicolae,Augusta Raluca Gabor,Ecaterina Matei,Cristian Predescu |
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Affiliation: | 1.Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania;2.National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry (ICECHIM), 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania;3.“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Physical Chemistry of Polymers Department, 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | polypropylene waste thermoplastic elastomer clay melt processing crystallinity mechanical and thermal properties |
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