FILLER-BORN REACTIVE COMPATIBILISATION OF MIXED POLYOLEFIN POST-CONSUMER POLYMER WASTE: A MORE VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO SEPARATION

摘要

Increasing tax on landfill and general environmental pressure has increased the need to recycle polymer waste. The unfilled/lightly filled polyolefin fraction of post consumer polymer waste is relatively easily separated from the denser polymers by floatation. The complexity does not end here because the polyolefin fraction itself consists of dissimilar materials that when melt blended would form an immiscible blend with generally poor and inconsistent properties. The work presented will explore the use of activated filler (ground calcium carbonate (GCC)) surfaces as compatibilising interfaces for polyolefin blends. The activation is in the form of Lubrizol Solplus? C800 coupling agent, which has been found to effectively activate GCC and lead to a property enhancing interphase structure in post-industrial polypropylene (PP)/high density polyethylene (HDPE) blends.