Manufacture and characterization of nanocomposite materials obtained from incorporation of d-glucose functionalized MWCNTs into the recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Abstract

Plastics make considerable amount of solid waste in the worldwide corresponding to their use in many fields of our lives like construction, packaging, building, and so on. The manufacture of fuel-derived plastics is often dangerous to the environment; so, available waste administration systems including energy recovery operations and/or recycling are essential to solve this huge pollution. In this study, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottle waste as considerable part of the total plastic waste bulk was recycled and white and fine-recycled PET powders (R-PET) were formed. The obtained R-PET showed semi-crystalline structure according to X-ray diffraction analysis. Then, the effect of functionalized multi-walled CNTs with D-glucose was investigated on R-PET properties. Transmission electron microscopy exhibited good dispersion of MWCNTs-Gl in the R-PET matrix. MWCNT-Gl as a nucleating agent increased the crystallization degree of R-PET.