Industrial Lime Sludge waste–HDPE composites — a study of their mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties

Abstract

Industrial lime sludge (LS) waste is an environmental hazard which is usually disposed in dump yards or used in disorganized land filling, thus causing pollution. The aim of the present work is to investigate whether the functionality and commercial viability of this industrial waste can be enhanced by utilizing the calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-rich LS waste as reinforcement in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. Mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties are studied by blending LS with HDPE in various weight fractions. It is observed that the flexural strength, tensile modulus, and flexural modulus increased significantly with the addition of LS in the polymeric matrix indicating effective reinforcement by rigid particulate filler. The onset thermal degradation temperature is also increased significantly upon LS addition, thus raising the thermal stability of the composites. Hence, the development of LS-reinforced HDPE composites can be considered as an effective way to enhance the properties of polymeric composites as well as to reduce pollution by recycling an industrial waste.