High-density Polyethylene Plastic Research Articles

Thermochemical conversion of plastic waste to fuels: a review

Plastics are common in our daily lifestyle, notably in the packaging of goods to reducing volume, enhancing transportation efficiency, keeping food fresh and preventing spoilage, manufacturing healthcare products, preserving drugs and insulating electrical components. Nonetheless, massive amounts of non-biodegradable plastic wastes are generated and end up in the environment, notably as microplastics. The worldwide industrial production of plastics has increased by nearly 80% since 2002. Based on the degree of recyclability, plastics are classified into seven major groups: polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and miscellaneous plastics. Recycling technologies can reduce the accumulation of plastic wastes, yet they also pollute the environment, consume energy, labor and capital cost. Here we review waste-to-energy technologies such as pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification for transforming plastics into clean fuels and chemicals. We focus on thermochemical conversion technologies for the valorization of waste plastics. This technology reduces the diversion of plastics to landfills and oceans, reduces carbon footprints, and has high conversion efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Depending on the conversion method, plastics can be selectively converted either to bio-oil, bio-crude oil, synthesis gas, hydrogen or aromatic char. We discuss the influence of process parameters such as temperature, heating rate, feedstock concentration, reaction time, reactor type and catalysts. Reaction mechanisms, efficiency, merits and demerits of biological and thermochemical plastic conversion processes are also discussed.

Perancangan Mesin Pencacah Plastik Tipe Shredder dan Alat Pemotong Tipe Reel

<p><em>Plastic is an object that can support human daily activities due to its character that is practical and resistant. However, wasted plastic can pollute the environment since it is difficult to be decomposed. The purpose of this study was to produce plastic chopper machine that is capable of chopping plastic waste with shredder type and reel type cutting tools. The design process is chosen based on a predetermined assessment. The kinds of plastic that are chopped will be PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic. AISI 304 material knife was chosen to chop up plastic waste. According to the results of design and calculation, the engine size has dimensions of 1105.6x1355.7x600, 3 HP motor drive power, and has a rotation of 1450 rpm which is assisted by pulley transmission elements and v-belt type A. The chopper components used consist of 14 pieces of shredder blade and 9 blade reel cutters with 2 pieces of bedknife. The components of shredder knives, reel knives, and frames are analyzed using Finite Element Analysis to determine the safety of the planned design.</em></p>

Experimental investigation of concrete incorporating HDPE plastic waste and metakaolin

This paper deals with the investigation of using Metakaolin and HDPE plastic waste with various percentages in concrete to make the concrete economical with desired properties and to reduce the consumption of naturally available construction materials. Six percentages of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Plastic powder (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%) and 10% metakaolin are incorporated with the weight of fine aggregate and cement respectively. The concrete with 10% metakaolin and 15% HDPE plastic powder gives better result on compressive strength in comparison with conventional concrete. The flexural strength and split tensile strength of concrete shows up to 80% and 90% replacement with 10% metakaolin and 5% HDPE plastic powder respectively.

Assessment of Supercritical CO2 Extraction as a Method for Plastic Waste Decontamination

Due to the lack of advanced methods to clean plastic waste from organic contaminants, this study aimed at evaluating supercritical extraction as a decontamination method. Oil-adhesive high-density polyethylene (HD-PE) oil containers were subjected to supercritical extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide. The extraction was conducted at 300 bar, applying various temperatures (i.e., 70, 80 and 90 °C). The study assessed the impact of temperature on the decontamination efficiency. The variation in the samples’ quality was first analyzed using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. An analysis of the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was followed. Samples treated at 70 and 80 °C showed higher extraction efficiencies, in spite of the lower extraction temperatures. The NIR analysis showed that the plastic specimens did not experience degradation by the supercritical decontamination method. Moreover, the NIR spectra of the extracted oil showed the presence of a wide range of compounds, some of which are hazardous. This has been confirmed by a GC-MS analysis of the extracted oil. Based on the provided assessment, the quality of the decontaminated HD-PE plastic samples—from a contamination point of view—is enhanced in comparison to untreated samples. The level of PAHs contamination decreased to be within the allowed limits defined by the REACH regulation, and also met the specifications of the German Product Safety Committee. This study proved the effectiveness of the supercritical extraction using CO2 in extracting organic contaminants from plastics, while maintaining their quality.

PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND PACKAGING MATERIALS EFFECTS ON ACCEPTABILITY, STORAGE STABILITY AND SHELF LIFE OF “AADUN” (NIGERIAN MAIZE BASED SNACKS)

“Aadun” is a Nigerian traditional maize based snack, but now poorly accepted by todays snack consumers despites its quality. To increase acceptability sensory panelist using 5 points ranking scores were asked to rank “Aadun” processed using laboratory equipment and traditional processed commercial samples purchased from Ibadan and Abeokuta with packaging materials of Leaf (Taumatoccous Danielle), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Aluminum foil (ALF) and Polystyrene plastic cup (PSC). Laboratory “aadun” packaged in different materials and the commercial samples packaged in LDPE were stored under refrigeration (4-5 0C; RH 74.85%), ambient (25-30 0C; RH 66.7%) and sunlight (30-44 0C; RH 65.81%) conditions for 6 months and at 2 weeks intervals off flavor (OF) was determined by 10 trained sensory panelists and growth of microorganism by total plate count (TPC) method. Shelf life was estimated by plotting hazard (TPC) against time on linear and quadratic regression curve and safety cut off value of 105cfu/g as limit. Results showed the highly ranked “Aadun” was Laboratory sample followed by Ibadan and Abeokuta samples and PSC ranked highest followed by ALF, HDPE, LDPE and Leaf. A longer lag period before OF and TPC increased was under Refrigeration, PSC, LDPE Laboratory and Abeokuta samples but, shorter under ambient, sunlight, leaf and LDPE Ibadan sample. Longer shelf life period was under refrigeration, PSC (42.4 weeks), LDPE laboratory (40.1 weeks), LDPE Abeokuta (33.2 weeks but shorter under ambient, sunlight, leaf (19 weeks) and LDPE Ibadan (30.5 weeks). This study shows that if modern technology and PSC packing plastic materials and storing under refrigeration conditions will improve acceptability, long storage stability and shelf life thereby, increasing production and the economy of the local women processor in Nigeria.

Quality Characteristics of Salt Fortification with Dragon Fruit Peel in Plastic Packaging during Storage Period

Abstract Dragon fruit peel is another option for salt fortification beside of iodized salt. Dragon fruit peel contains source of vitamin C needed by our body. The objective of this study is to find out the quality characteristics of fortification of salt with dragon fruit peel during storage period. Fortified salt was stored in Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastics at room temperature and at the temperature of 35°C. Fortified salt was stored for a month. Tests performed during storage period were water content, NaCl, vitamin A and vitamin C content. The experimental design used was randomized block design with 2 factors, those are temperature and packaging type. Statistic test was performed with Variance Test and Duncan Test in the significance level of 5%. Fortified salt production used 40% of dragon fruit peel extract. Results showed that different packaging type and storage temperature did not have real impact on NaCl and vitamin A content of fortification salt with dragon fruit peel. Water content of fortification of salt with dragon fruit peel is affected by storage temperature. However, packaging type does not give real impacts on vitamin A content. Packaging type have a real impact on vitamin C content. Fortification of salt with dragon fruit peel has the ability to bind vitamin C so that it can be used as an alternative source of vitamin C. Keywords : dragon fruit peel, salt fortification, storage

A Comparative Study between Commercially Available Type 1 Plywood and Plymer, a HDPE and Pineapple Leaves Composite

Pineapple in the Philippines, with an annual production rate of more than 2 million tons, is ranked the third largest pineapple producing country in the world, with 172,000 acres dedicated to its production. Under this scenario, pineapple is a subtropical fruit with a considerably higher proportion of by-products consisting of peels, stems and leaves, leading to a high production of agricultural waste. In particular, pineapple leaves fiber as one of the most abundant by-products rich in cellulose. The researchers compared the properties and composition of commercially available type 1 plywood to a mixture of high density polyethylene plastic chips with dried pineapple leaves called Plymer. The ratio of the Plymer was 80 % HDPE and 20 % leaves. The series of tests carried out by DOST-FPRDI were screw removal, static bending and tensile strength. The researchers used the statistical tooltest to compare the results of the test. In conclusion, Plymer is the best option for static bending and tensile strength testing.

Thermal performance of unfired lightweight clay bricks with HDPE & PET waste plastics additives

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of incorporation of wastes plastics additives in the thermal performance of unfired clay bricks. The low adhesion between the clay and polymer molecules, in general, is one of the major challenges faced while blending the two components. In this paper, an innovative brick preparation technique known as the melt compounding preparation is suggested to ensure a homogenous clay-polymer dispersion and a maximum polymerization intensity inside the brick matrix. Various proportions for both polymeric, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) & Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), plastics wastes additives, in three grain-size are added to the earth clay. Prepared samples were tested for thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, time lag and decrement factor properties. Collected findings showed that thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity properties improved by 40% and 55%, respectively, with the incorporation the largest polymeric-grain additives (3 mm < δ ≤ 6 mm) compared to the smallest ones (δ ≤ 1 mm). This can be explained by the high porosity produced while using larger grain-size additives. Maxwell thermal-porosity mathematical model is also used to assess the theoretically predicted thermal properties of the brick samples and compare it the experimental findings. The computed Pearson Correlation Coefficient ‘R’ is found to be very close to 1; hence, reflecting a positive association between the experimental and theoretical results. Next, a dynamic thermal inertia via a thermal simulation of a 6 m × 5 m x 2 m reference house, with variable external wall thicknesses, is executed to analyze the time lag and decrement factor of the studied brick samples. The composition of the wall is based on the experimental results of the brick samples with the optimum compressive strength, deduced from previous work, and thermal performance, in the current study. An improvement in thermal stability, with increased time lag and decreased decrement factor, is observed with larger grain size additives and thicker external walls. As a matter of fact, for a 0.3 m thick external wall made of PET based samples, the recorded time lag and decrement factor was 13.50 h and 0.148, respectively, compared to 8.99 h and 0.346 for reference values. This represents very high gains in dynamic thermal inertia properties in the range of 50% and 57% for time lag and decrement factor, respectively, compared to reference values, meaning cutting the house's energy expenses in half.

Solar assisted pyrolysis system for High-Density polyethylene plastic waste to fuel conversion

Plastic products are used almost in all our daily life activities due to their characteristics such as being inert, durability, flexibility, and versatility. More than 1 million tons of plastic wastes are generated daily in Ethiopia. Unless managed it properly plastic waste affects the environment immensely since they are durable and stable. Plastic wastes stay in the environment for a long time. In this paper, a solar-assisted pyrolysis system has been designed and tested for the generation of liquid fuel from High-Density Polyethylene plastic waste. Data were collected related to the solar energy potential of Addis Ababa city of Ethiopia and the amount of plastic waste generated daily. Proximate and ultimate analysis and heating value of waste were determined experimentally. The energy requirements of the pyrolysis system were determined and the sizing of the system was performed. The model is simulated using Matlab software and a mathematical model is applied to study the performance of the system. A 4 m diameter solar parabolic dish collector with a cylindrical-shaped reactor at the focal point and dual solar tracking system is used based on Addis Ababa weather data and the required energy for the endothermic pyrolysis. Based on the result, the conversion efficiency of the system is 72% by weight. The result also shows 1360 Kwh/m2 of solar energy is required to produce 14.2 liters of liquid fuel from High-Density Polyethylene plastic waste. The heating value of the produced liquid fuel is 41.8 MJ/kg. Thus, by using a solar-assisted pyrolysis system a liquid fuel has been produced from plastic waste, income is generated from the selling of the produced liquid fuel, and the environmental impact of waste plastic is reduced.

Numerical investigation of the performance of group of geothermal energy piles in unsaturated sand

The use of foundation structures (piles) coupled to a heat pump system, commonly referred to as geothermal energy pile (GEP) system, provides a renewable energy solution of achieving space heating and cooling in buildings; whilst also being utilised for the structural stability of the overlying structures. The system operates by exchanging the low-grade heat energy within the shallow earth surface with the building, via the circulation of heat carrier fluid enclosed in a high-density polyethylene plastic pipes. In summer, heat energy is extracted from the building and transferred into the ground to achieve space cooling. While in winter, the ground heat energy is harnessed and transferred to the building to achieve sustainable space heating. This paper investigates the thermal performance of group of GEP system under the effects of different initial soil pore water content. Through the five-year simulation’s period, it was found that the increase in soil pore water content decreases the possibility of thermal interaction between the GEPs in the group. Also, it was observed that the trend in maximum temperature witnessed within the soil domain decreases nonlinearly during the five years period.

Selection of Plastic Degradation Indigenous bacteria Isolated from Tamangapa Landfill Macassar City

Plastic is the most widely used polymers in all aspects of human life, including food packaging and pharmaco-cosmetics. The complex structures with long and repetitive chains make plastic difficult to be degraded naturally. Consequently, it will accumulate in landfills and the soil. One solution that can be done to overcome this problem is by biodegradation using microorganisms. This study aims to select bacterial isolates that are able to degrade plastics which are isolated from soil samples at Tamangapa landfill in Makassar City. Sampling of soil containing plastic waste used purposive sampling method at 5 different points at Tamangapa Landfill. Isolation of bacteria was conducted using Nutrient Agar (NA) which added 2% Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and selection of degradation ability was carried out with liquid Mineral Salt media containing HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) media. The degradation ability was observed based on the optical density value (OD) at a wavelength of 600 nm and loss of plastic dry weight for 14 days of incubation. The results of isolation and selection obtained 6 bacterial isolates that were able to degrade HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) plastics. T7 isolates showed the highest degradation ability of 6% for 8% HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) plastic and LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) compared to the other five bacteria isolates.

Reinforcing Some Kuwaiti Soils with Shredded High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) Bits

ABSTRACT Large amounts of shredded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bits are generated in Kuwait as a by-product of the production of plastic pipes. To find beneficial uses for this waste material, an extensive laboratory testing program was carried out on two local surface sands of Kuwait amended with shredded HDPE bits in amounts varying from 0 percent to 15 percent (by weight). Laboratory tests included sieve analysis, modified proctor compaction, direct shear, consolidation, and permeability tests. The testing measured the effect of increased HDPE content on the different soil properties. The results indicate a reduction of the maximum density of about 20 percent and a substantial increase in the permeability and compressibility. The strength parameters, namely the cohesion, C, and the angle of internal friction, ϕ, increased with increasing HDPE content. Therefore, the use of HDPE plastic bits as an additive to the local soils in Kuwait is beneficial for many practical applications, such as lightweight fill, embankment construction, and as a drainage layer in the construction of landfills.

PENGARUH PENAMBAHAN PLASTIK HIGH DENSITY POLY ETHYLENE PADA LAPISAN PERKERASAN ASPAL BETON AC-BC

Increased population growth is accompanied by an increase in the volume of traffic. These conditions must be supported by good pavement quality. Bending hardening is the most preferred pavement on highway pavement structures. A common way to increase asphalt quality to repair damage is by adding additives, one of them is plastic. This research tries to use additives in the form of High Density Poly Ethylene plastic seed which is expected to add stability value and even able to overcome the weakness of asphalt pavement asphalt pavement layer against damage. This study used an experimental method to obtain a comparison result between normal asphalt mixture and HDPE-asphalt plastics, it will be seen that the utilization of HDPE plastic seed will influence the characteristics of concrete asphalt mixture with variation of plastic addition of 3% and 6% calculated from the asphalt weight of the plan. From the analysis of normal asphalt mixture and asphalt mixture of HDPE 3% and 6% asphalt found the optimum asphalt content (KAO) that test results obtained values of mixed characteristic parameters for the normal mixture of VIM (4.46%), VMA (16.42%), VFB (72.78%), Stability (1155 Kg), Flow (3.56 Mm), MQ (325 Kg / mm); HDPE plastic meet the specification of Bina Marga 2010 revision III that is 5.9%, 5% and 5.8%. From the analysis process of Marshall asphalt mixture 3% VIM (3.98%), VMA (14.67%), VFB (72.88%), Stability (1417 Kg), Flow (3.49 mm), MQ (406 Kg / mm ) And HDPE 6% mixture of HDPE 6% VIM (3.71%), VMA (15.60%), VFB (76.28%), Stability (1408 Kg), Flow (3.71 mm), MQ (379, 60 Kg / mm). Overall on the stability value with the added 3% and 6% HDPE plastic content, the stability value of the normal asphalt value increases.

Thermomechanical Evaluation of the Performance and Integrity of a HDPE Stub-End Bolted Flange Connection

In this study, the integrity of a manhole structure made of a 78 in. high density polyethylene (HDPE) stub-end, steel ring, and blind flange, sealed with a compressed nonasbestos fiber (CNAF) gasket is investigated by means of a parametric finite element analysis (FEA). A coupled thermomechanical nonlinear FEA model is built, comprising of a heat transfer and a structural model, which allows modeling the complex thermal and mechanical loads and their interactions present during the operation of the manhole. The temperature-dependent elastic–plastic HDPE material constitutive behavior and the temperature-dependent nonlinear response of the CNAF gasket are accounted for in the model. Factors influencing the performance and integrity of the manhole such as stud-bolt pretorque level (Tb), internal pressure (Pi), and outer temperature (To) are considered. Based on the results, the integrity and performance of the structure are assessed in view of a leakage through the gasket criterion and a yielding of the HDPE stub-end criterion. The FEA results reveal that both Tb, Pi, and To significantly influence the performance (i.e., leakage) of the gasket and the integrity (i.e., yielding) of the HDPE stub-end. At 40 °C, it is possible to find a safe operational window for a range of Tb and Pi values, where no leakage through the gasket or yielding of the stub-end occurs. However, as the temperature is increased this safe operational window decreases considerably, and at 80 °C safe operation cannot be guaranteed where leakage, yielding, or both simultaneously, will lead to loss in performance and integrity of the manhole structure.

Mechanical Properties of Concrete Block Reinforced with Recycle HDPE and Coal Bottom Ash

Garbage is a serious problem if it is not managed properly, both organic and non-organic. Inorganic waste, for example, plastic, metal, glass, and charcoal from coal combustion are difficult to decompose in the soil. HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic is one type of inorganic waste that is difficult to decompose, but this plastic can be recycled. The objective of the study is to develop light cement blocks by using the waste of HDPE, coal bottom ash and cement. The research guide was referred to SNI (Indonesian National Standard). The SNI-03-6825-2002 is for testing of the compressive strength and SNI 03-0349-1989 for the testing of the water absorption. The size of the specimen was 5 x 5 x 5 cm. In this study, the compositions of HDPE: coal bottom ash were varied by 70%: 0%, 60%: 10%, 50%: 20%, and 40%: 30%. The Holcim cement was 30% of the volume fraction. Testing was conducted after the specimens stay in 7 and 28 days. For the 7 days old of specimens, the highest compressive strength has resulted from 50%:20% composition with the value of 5.88 N/mm2. For the 28 days old specimens, the highest compressive strength was 8.34 N/mm2. The lowest water absorption test was delivered by the more coal bottom ash in the composition of 40%:30%. It was 16.971%. The more coal bottom ash, the less water absorption. The mean of specimens density was 1.076 gr/cm3. The result of the research shows that recycles HDPE and coal bottom ash as concrete block meet the required strength.

Utilization of plastic waste with mix plastic softening agregate method as performance of stability and quality asphalt concrete

To increase sidewalks in Indonesia there are several things that must be considered, such as aggregate quality, implementation methods and asphalt quality. The amount of waste plastic waste in Indonesia at this time and in the years to come, can be reprocessed, one of them is by using it as an additive in the technique of making asphalt concrete. It is expected that a complex problem related to the amount of plastic waste piles can be turned into an opportunity to build the acceleration and quality of concrete asphalt roads in Indonesia. The method used for this research is the wet process, which is the direct method of mixing plastic material into asphalt which is heated at temperature according to Tait’s parameters, then added aggregate. The optimum asphalt used in this study was 5.7%. The variables used are 5%, 7%, and 9% of the plastic for substitution at the optimum level of asphalt used. Plastic variable added 100% high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, 100% polypropylene (PP), HDPE: PP and mixture (50:50), then Marshall Test. The best results were obtained by adding 9% plastic mixture variable with HDPE: PP ratio (1:1) resulting in an increase of 179% MQ then normal asphalt.

Biofilm-enhanced adsorption of strong and weak cations onto different microplastic sample types: Use of spectroscopy, microscopy and radiotracer methods

The adsorption of metals and other elements onto environmental plastics has been previously quantified and is known to be enhanced by surface-weathering and development of biofilms. However, further biofilm-adsorption characterisation is needed with respect to the fate of radionuclides. This study uses spectroscopy, microscopy and radiotracer methods to investigate the adsorption capacity of relatively strong and weak cations onto different microplastic sample types that were conditioned in freshwater, estuarine and marine conditions although marine data were limited. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that surface oxidation chemistry changes induced by gamma irradiation were similar to those resulting from environmental exposures. Microscopy elemental mapping revealed patchy biofilm development, which contained Si, Al, and O, consistent with microbial-facilitated capture of clays. The plastics+biofilm of all sample types had measurable adsorption for Cs and Sr radiotracers, suggesting environmental plastics act broadly as a sink for the key pervasive environmental radionuclides of 137Cs and 90Sr associated with releases from nuclear activities. Adsorption onto high-density polyethylene plastic types was greater than that on polypropylene. However, in most cases, the adsorption rates of all types of plastic+biofilm were much lower than those of reference sediments and roughly consistent with their relative exchangeable surface areas.

Study on the Use of a Variety of Plastic Materials in a Mixture of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) in a Mixture Based on Wear AC-WC Layers (Asphalt Concrete Wearing Course)

Roads with flexible pavement are pavements that use asphalt as an aggregate binder, so they are much in demand rather than rigid pavement. Road infrastructure requires maintenance whose conditions must be maintained on an ongoing basis. The use of plastic packaging cannot be separated in everyday life. HDPE (High density polyethylene) is high density polyethylene. Based on the problem of the amount of used plastic waste currently available, this research is needed to find out how well the pavement uses the use of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) plastic as mixed plastic waste. After testing the laboratory and analyzing it according to the General Highway Specifications for normal composition 1 without a mixture of 0%, the asphalt content that meets all the requirements is estimated at asphalt level between 5.6% - 6%. Whereas in composition 2-4 with HPDE plastic waste 4%, 8%, and 12%. From the results of the research with 4 different compositions, it is obtained that the optimal asphalt content composition of HDPE plastic mixture is 0-12% which meets the VIM and stability an optimal 8% HDPE plastic mixture was obtained with an optimum asphalt content of 4.45%

Model Reverse Logistics System of Plastic Waste Recycling at Indonesesia

The development of plastic waste recycling model in reverse logistics network system is based on plastic waste management business activities in Indonesia, which is also reinforced by some literature on similar business activities in several other countries such as India (Hess, et al., 2001; Reddy, et al., 2003) and Turkey (Nesser, et al., 2008). The reverse logistics system in Indonesia is one of the best alternatives that can be considered to reduce the limitations of raw material resources. In addition, reverse logistics proved to provide economic value to business actors (Rivera and Ertel, 2008), then environmental issues became one of the strongest motivations for reverse logistics (Francas and Minner, 2009; Schultzmann, et al., 2006). The objective of the research is to develop plastic waste recycling model, especially LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) and HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) plastic in the reverse logistics network system and determine the distribution and transportation network related to the plastic waste management business activity. Models can be developed based on empirical data with several scenarios in observing the behavior and characteristics of model variables. Model results can be generated minimize the total cost of reverse logistic system in plastic waste management in Indonesia IDR 196, 220, 250.

Structural study of maritime pine wood and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPEr) plastic composite using Infrared-ATR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM and contact angle measurements

In this work, Wood–polymer composites (WPCs) were prepared from pine wood and High-Density Recycled Polyethylene (HDPEr). In order to gain insight of the effect of changing ratios of the wood and the polymer within the elaborated samples, a set of composites were subjected to comparative analysis by X-ray diffraction and Infrared-ATR spectroscopy, the structural investigations revealed that significant blending occurred with woodflour, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was comparatively carried out over the different wood-polymer composition (HDPEr 70W30; HDPEr 60W40; HDPEr 50W50; HDPEr 40W60 and HDPEr 30W70).The structural analysis of the WPC was correlated with the surface analysis study.Contact Angle Measurements were carried out in order to evaluate the performance of WPC. Also, the interaction between wood and the recycled Polyethylene was supported by the static water Contact Angle test showing that the Contact Angle between water and High-Density Recycled Polyethylene (HDPEr) decreases when woodflour weight percent is greater than that of the polymer, however the water Contact Angle of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) filled with 30%,40% and 50% woodflour indicated the surface roughness was improved significantly.This statement was evidenced to be in a good consistence with the overall comparative investigations.