EVALUACIÓN DE LAS PROPIEDADES DE MEZCLAS BINARIAS DE POLIOLEFINAS MIXTAS Y PLA POSCONSUMO CON POLIPROPILENO RECICLADO

Abstract

Nowadays, blends of recycled polyolefins are commonly found in the polymer recycling industry, as their similar chemical and physical properties make it difficult to differentiate and classify them from the large amount of these materials present in the post-consumer polymer stream. In this sense, it is useful to study the blends of recycled mixed polyolefins (MPOr) to obtain information on their thermal, rheological, and mechanical behavior and thus determine their compatibility. These results will be of interest for the development of more efficient processes that can improve the properties of the blends, giving them commercial value and facilitating the recycling process. Therefore, this work aims to study the properties of blends of MPOr without compatibilization and with recycled polylactic acid (PLAr), as an alternative to recycle the 3D printing waste, which has been constantly increasing in the last decades. It is for this reason that binary blends of recycled polypropylene (PPr) with recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPEr), low-density polyethylene (LDPEr), and PLAr in proportions of 20, 40, 60, and 80% by weight were prepared using a twin-screw extruder. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), melt flow index (MFI) measurements, and tensile tests were used to determine the properties of each blend. The results showed that although there was no miscibility, some blends showed some degree of compatibility, showing increased tensile strength.