Effect of recycling on material properties of polyethylene terephthalate at various recycling ratios and recycling generations.

摘要

Recycled plastics are considered low performance materials because their properties decrease with recycling. Resin manufacturers use rules of thumb to recommend recycled plastic usage, usually 25% or less by weight. These rules are very conservative, and are not based on sound experimentation.; The objective of this study was to begin to change current perception that recycled plastics are low-quality materials. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of a 15 vol.% glass filled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using various recycling generations and recycled ratios were determined. Six recycling generations and 4 recycled ratios were used in this research. Calibration curves relating mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, and percent elongation to failure to the recycling generation or recycled ratios were developed. The calibration curves, which were generated, revealed that the properties of glass filled PET decreased slightly with recycling (2.1% to 5.1% per recycling generation). However, this slight decrease in properties can be compensated by conservative safety factors or plastics additives, as a result of which recycled plastics products can be manufactured without much concern about their mechanical performance. Thermal properties of the glass filled PET were not affected by the recycling process. In summary, recycling of plastic materials is effective in conserving the environment and enhancing the life cycle of these materials.