Improving the Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene and Polypropylene Recycled Streams using Polyolefin Elastomers and Functionalized Polyolefins.

摘要

The ability to be recycled is an important attribute for many plastics. By melting and reprocessing thermoplastics for reuse the carbon footprint can typically be reduced compared to the use of virgin materials. The benefits of incorporating recycle content into new and existing applications, however, must be tempered by the reality that recycled plastics may not have the same performance as virgin materials due to either 1) degradation by weathering/aging, 2) contamination, or 3) thermo-mechanical degradation from re-processing. To minimize the intrinsic effects of the recycling process and allow usage of recycled plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or streams with mixed content, it is important to understand the benefits of utilizing impact modifiers and compatibilizers.