Recycling of waste poly(vinyl chloride) fill materials to produce new polymer composites with propylene glycol plasticizer and waste sawdust of Albizia lebbeck wood

Abstract

Plastic waste management is a burning issue nowadays. In this study, new wood-plastic composites were made using waste poly(vinyl chloride), plasticizer and waste sawdust of Albizia lebbeck wood at different weight percentages (0%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) by mechanical recycling process. At first, waste rigid poly(vinyl chloride) fill materials of cooling tower were cleaned, grinded into recyclates and characterized by physical, mechanical, morphological and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared analyses. Nontoxic plasticizer propylene glycol was added into the waste rigid poly(vinyl chloride) recyclates to make it flexible and investigated its addition effect on the tensile, thermal and morphological properties of rigid poly(vinyl chloride). Results indicated that, the addition of plasticizer reduced the tensile strength and thermal stability of the waste poly(vinyl chloride). Lebbeck wood sawdust reinforced propylene glycol plasticized waste poly(vinyl chloride) composites were prepared via solution casting method and their mechanical, thermal and morphological characteristics were investigated. Tensile strength of the composites was found to be increased significantly for 1 ​wt% sawdust reinforced plasticized waste poly(vinyl chloride) composites. Thermogravimetric analyses showed increased thermal stability for 1 ​wt% sawdust reinforced plasticized waste poly(vinyl chloride) composite than the plasticized neat poly(vinyl chloride). Morphological analyses of the composites also revealed the better result for 1 ​wt% sawdust reinforced plasticized waste poly(vinyl chloride) composites. The produced recycled plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) composites can be used in electrical cable insulation, packaging and automotive applications with cost and environmental benefits.