Abstract
Awareness about environmental problems has generated interest in the research for new materials in line with the sustainability principles. The recycling of industrial solid waste has contributed to the transformation of environmental liabilities into new products with added commercial value. In this study, the physical, me-chanical and thermal properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites reinforced with polyeth-ylene terephthalate (PET)-coated solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard shavings were investigated ac-cording to composite formation process variables: preparation temperature, mean particle diameter of com-ponents and reinforcement concentration. Very few studies on the characterization of composites reinforced with PET-coated SBS paperboard shavings have been reported to date. The analyses were carried out based on standard methods published by the American Society for Testing and Materials. The results indicate an increase in the moisture content and water absorption occurred as a function of the increase in the rein-forcement. With regard to the density, there was no significant influence of variations in the granulometry or concentration of the PET-coated SBS paperboard shavings. Composites formed with particles of 0.73 mm at 140 ºC presented satisfactory tensile and flexural strength, compared with the values for the LDPE resin. Composites with 20% reinforcement formed by particles of 4.05 mm at 140 ºC showed 14% improvement in impact resistance properties. The thermal analysis indicated that shavings degradation occurred at 190 °C. Thus lower temperatures need to be applied in the processing of this composite material. The processing conditions of the composites resulted in different performance for each evaluated property. The use of the composite in manufacturing products must follow the process conditions that will provide to material the desirable level of properties for the best performance of the final product.
Highlights
The concept of moving towards a sustainable society involves prioritizing products considering the environmental scope
In order to reduce the negative impact of the disposal of waste from the packaging industry in the environment, this study was aimed at demonstrating the relationship between the physical, mechanical and thermal properties and the processing conditions used to prepare composites with a matrix of post-consumer low-density polyethylene (LDPE) packaging waste, reinforced with polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-coated solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard shavings from the thermoforming of frozen food packaging
All the material ground was sieved according to the granulometric classification process mentioned above, in order to ensure the homogeneity of the mixture between LDPE waste and PET-coated SBS paperboard shavings
Summary
The concept of moving towards a sustainable society involves prioritizing products considering the environmental scope. Consumer demands on corporate commitment to society and nature have become increasingly important [1,2,3,4]. In the current economic scenario, recourse to environmentally correct alternatives has driven the business strategy of many entrepreneurs, and this has become a differential for competitiveness in the market [3,4,5]. Contemporary life, together with new technologies, has led to an expansion in the consumption of industrialized products, which are mostly marketed in primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. The production of greater amounts of packaging has, in turn, increased the generation of solid waste [6,7,8,9].
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