Secondary Recycling of HDPE Domestic Waste by Reinforcement of Cu Doped ZnO Nanoparticles for 3D Printing Applications

Abstract

The high density polyethylene (HDPE) is being used for daily life products such as; plastic bags, bottles, milk and shampoo pouches, cutting boards, and piping etc. At the same, the increased use of the HDPE thermoplastic based products creates a lot of environmental problems if not recycled. The well-established recycling process of HDPE waste is one of the top most priorities to sustain the environment. In this regard, the present study delivers the route map for melt processing of the HDPE thermoplastic based materials as a secondary recycling process. Preparation of functional/non-functional structures by 3D printing process is one of the recent developments in the field of waste management. In this study, Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles were reinforced with HDPE waste materials for the preparation of composite feedstock filaments for 3D printing applications. The recycling of HDPE waste materials involves the reinforcement of Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel synthesis process. Further, the twin screw extrusion (TSE) process was used to prepare the HDPE-Cu-ZnO based feedstock filaments. The tensile and fracture morphology have been investigated to check the impact of process parameters. The results of this case study suggested that the optimum process parameters for HDPE waste recycling was 170°C barrel temperature, 15kg forced loading and 0.3N.m torque.