As part of a large government funded project, we are investigating ways to improve plastic recycling. Current mechanical recycling processes have their limitations, including cost constraints, degradation of mechanical properties because of heat, mechanical stress, oxidation and ultraviolet radiation during reprocessing, as well as the production of inconsistent quality products. These issues are prevalent in the recycling of mixed polymers and arise from the incompatibility of various polymeric phases. There are several ways to enhance the compatibility of immiscible polymers. Compatibilization of immiscible polymer blends by adding a copolymer, using inorganic nanoparticles or reactive polymers such as functionalized of PE.
Alternatively, thermoplastics can be modified by introducing thermo-reversible interactions that can enhance the quality of the recycled materials, whether they are single polymers or blends of different polymers. An ionomer is a special type of polymer that has ionic groups attached to the main polymer chain. These groups can form ionic interactions between the chains within polymer that are much stronger than other types of non-covalent interactions and designed to improve the interfacial interactions as well as adhesion between different polymers in a blend. This can help minimize issues such as phase separation, degradation, and delamination, making the recycling process more effective and the resulting
materials more durable and reliable.
In this project, the use of ionic interactions in polyethylene(PE) will be studied. Commercially available acid modified PE will be converted into an ionomer by neutralising the acid groups during extrusion. By studying the effect of the degree of neutralization on mechanical properties, a recycling strategy can be devised for hard to recycle waste polymer blends.
Undergraduate
None
CACM - Strength of Materials Lab (Newmarket 902 Lvl 3, Lab)