ESTIMATION OF POSSIBILITIES OF MAKING PRODUCTS FROM RECLAIMED POLYOLEFINES WITH WOODEN FILLERS

摘要

Polyolefines wastes appear in different places, usually in places their processing, market and industrial centers, construction industry and mainly in millions of households. They are diverse with regard to quality, clarity and usefulness to reprocessing. One of the possibilities of reinforcement of reclaimed polyolefines is adding diverse fillers like glass or carbon fibers (but they are rather expensive) and natural fillers like wood, plants and others. Results of our tests show that even a little number of wooden filler causes considerable height of e-modulus in tested composites, what is connected with growth of stiffness in products based on such composites. Unquestionable advantage of the low-filler WPC (Wood-Plastic Composites) is possibility of processing on standard lines for granulation (without bearing additional costs of implementation of new technology). In these compositions it is recommended to use wooden fibers about lengths no crossing 150μm, humidity to about 8% and well developed surface, which is necessary to obtain good adhesion between the polymer matrix and the filler. The properties of final product made of the low-filler WPC depend on the type of used polymer, which should characterize by suitable melt flow index, especially in case of composites processed during injection moulding. In case of the high-filler composites is better to use original polymer because of technological requirements and quality of final products. Analysis of results of tests shows, that applying reclaimed PELD, PEHD and PP instead of original polyolefines to preparing low-filler composites with wooden fibers influences profitably onto their mechanical and usable proprieties. Development of processing polyolefin with natural fillers does not increase material costs of production and it favours reusing of articles, under way of recovering material or energy. Replacement in such compositions of original materials reclaimed polyolefines will permit onto extension of cycle of life (particularly this about lower qualities i.e. PELD) and it will lower environmental costs. The main advantages of articles base on of wood filler are: improvement of stiffness (in comparison with articles from polyolefines), small swelling and low absorption of water (in comparison with wooden articles), lack of natural defects of surface and appearance of natural woods, possibility of indoor and outdoor use, easy join of individual elements, longer period of use (economic) as well as possibility of material recycling and across burning with salvage of energy.