Work

Composites from Post‐Consumer Polypropylene Carpet and HDPE Retail Bags

Year: 2024

Type: book-chapter

Abstract: Every year, billions of pounds of carpets are discarded in landfills in the USA, raising concerns in terms of environmental pollution and economic liability. Approximately 100 billion plastic bags are discarded annually, which are often mixed with other materials (like ink, filler, and remnant products). Due to their heterogeneous nature, only about 3% of the bags are recycled. Processing the discarded materials to form useful composites can add additional value to materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. We have made composites using post-consumer polypropylene carpets (c-PP) and high-density polyethylene (r-HDPE) retail bags recovered from post-consumer sources by compression molding. Molding of the components under different pressures, temperatures, and compositions was performed. Preliminary molding conditions were based on analyzing the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data for different raw materials. Molding factors were examined to define applicable ranges for each parameter. The effects of layup configuration, composition of components, temperature, molding time, and pressure were considered in the screening process. The quality of the molded samples was compared based on flexural strength and modulus, creep behavior, and microscopy. Molded samples showed good mechanical properties with potential for structural applications. The ability to recycle plastic waste will improve sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of plastic use.

Source: Wiley eBooks

DOI: 10.1002/9781394214297.ch26