Materials (Aug 2022)

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

  • Maria Râpă,
  • Bogdan Norocel Spurcaciu,
  • Rodica-Mariana Ion,
  • Ramona Marina Grigorescu,
  • Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță,
  • Lorena Iancu,
  • Cristian-Andi Nicolae,
  • Augusta Raluca Gabor,
  • Ecaterina Matei,
  • Cristian Predescu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15175978
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 17
p. 5978

Abstract

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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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