Study on the recycling of waste PVC compounds from electrical wires

Abstract

The good mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) make it a polymer used in many applications, among which is the coating of wires and cables. The processing of PVC for this application is made using the extrusion process. The PVC waste resulting from extrusion can be recycled or placed on landfills. The objective of this work is to develop recycling methods to decrease the amount of PVC stored in landfills. This work evaluated the influence of successive processing of PVC on the final properties of the obtained compound, which will be used in the process of coating wire and cable by extrusion. The mechanical properties of the electrical wires were assessed according to the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT NBR 6251). Tests of tensile strength, elongation at break, before and after thermal aging in an oven with air circulation for a period of 168 hours at 100 °C were performed. The degradation of the PVC compound was carried out through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mechanical properties evaluation. The results showed that the compound can be reprocessed five times keeping the minimum requirements of the ABNT NBR 6251 Standard. Reprocessing was stopped upon color changing (yellowing) of the compound. Yellowing is a characteristic degradation behavior by dehydrochlorination of PVC. FTIR analysis showed changes at 1600 cm−1, 1430 cm−1, 685 cm−1 and 614 cm−1 bands. The performance of the PVC compound for coating electrical wire and cable was fair, meeting the requirements of the ABNT NBR 6251 Standard even after five reprocessing cycles.