A Parametric Study on the HDPE/PP and Marble Slurry Waste Utilisation Using Single Screw Extruder

Abstract

Due to the increased socio-economic development, the manufacturing of different products based on various polymers for different applications such as space crafts, airplanes, automobiles, boats, and sports equipment are increasing continuously. This huge increase in solid polymer commodities is also creating the extravagant quantity of solid waste polymers (SWPs) due to their non-degradable characteristics. These SWPs, for example, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and nylon, etc., are used frequently in various applications and create new challenges to the industries, government, as well as end-users for systematic waste recycling/recovery in an eco-friendly manner. Moreover, in this modernisation era, almost all marble industries are also facing a huge problem as marble slurry (MS) yields a great burden not only due to its limited degradability characteristics but also wider environmental hazard towards water bodies, and rivers. Fine particles in the range size of 45-300 micron in the MS create air pollution which in turn increases breathing problems. Moreover, it also creates an ecological adverse impact on soil fertility and reduces the percolation rate of rain water which in turn reduces the recharging of groundwater. Therefore, keeping in view the above facts, the simultaneous recycling of HDPE, PP and marble slurry is adopted through single screw extrusion in order to reduce the burden on the environment. Moreover, the effect of various process parameters viz barrel temperature, screw speed (rpm), feed composition, and grain size of PP and HDPE on extrudate output was envisaged. It was found that the extrudate output increases steeply on increasing the average barrel temperature from 100 to 120°C and linearly with screw speed range from 65 to 85 rpm. The effect of grain size had shown decreasing trend in throughput whereas on increasing the polymer content in the feed, throughput was found to be enhanced. Additives such as HPMC were found to be effective when used in synergy with HDPE and PP along with MS. The extrudate throughput was found to be a maximum of 33.01 g/minute at 120°C, 85 screw rpm, 1.40-grain size underfeed with equal proportionate of HDPE/PP with 2% HPMC and 8% MS. This clearly opens the ways for proper utilization of HDPE, PP and MS waste by extrusion and provides the environmental protection solution by utilizing these polluted materials in the fabrication of value-added products through extrusion.