Composite Material Production from Plastic Waste

Composite Material Production from Plastic Waste

Plastic is one of the most widely used materials in the world. Because it does not biodegrade, plastic waste that does not disappear from nature causes environmental pollution. Due to the climate crisis, waste management and recycling of waste are becoming increasingly important. However, the usage rate of recycled plastics still fails to catch up with that of virgin plastics. PET waste exhibits high strength, is lightweight, and has low gas permeability, which makes it frequently used in industry. The fact that PET waste does not disappear from nature and is resistant to atmospheric and biological conditions makes it economically and ecologically necessary to evaluate it. In this research article, studies conducted by academics on composite production from plastic waste have been examined and presented.

1. Application and Method

1.1 Composite Material Production Using PET and PVC In the application, composite material was produced using PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PVC. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was obtained from plastic bottles and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in sheet form was obtained from waste. PET and PVC were fragmented and formed into flakes for composite material production. In composite material production, unsaturated polyester resin with hardener at a ratio of 2 percent was mixed homogeneously with PET and PVC. With this homogeneous mixture, a glass mold was made and framed with silicone to prevent leakage. After all components were mixed, the mixture was placed in a container containing lubricant material and left at room temperature for 1 hour for the curing process. After solidification, composite samples were cut according to ASTM and ISO specifications. In the study conducted, impact test, flexural strength test, and hardness test were applied to the produced composite material. As a result of the tests, it was determined that composites containing PVC exhibited higher strength compared to those containing PET [1]. 1.2 Composite Material Production Using PET Waste and Marble Dust Another application involved composite production with marble dust and PET waste. Composite material was produced by homogeneously mixing scrap particles obtained from PET waste with marble dust in a screw mixer. Mechanical processes such as fragmentation, washing, and drying were applied to the PET bottle waste to be used. Subsequently, marble dust was used for composite material production, and this dust was separated into four fractions according to particle size using a sieve series and dried in an oven at 120 degrees Celsius. PET and marble dust were mixed at 280 degrees Celsius in a nitrogen atmosphere. To understand the effect of marble dust, samples were prepared using marble dust at variable ratios (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%). Flexural strength, tensile strength, and durability tests were applied to the prepared materials. Looking at tensile strength, a decrease was observed as the marble dust ratio increased; similarly, in flexural strength, a decrease was observed as the marble dust ratio increased. [2] 2. Conclusion In the first examined composite production with PET and PVC, it was determined that composite material with optimum acoustic insulation could be produced with PET and PVC contribution. In the other study, since marble dust has low cost, composite production was accomplished at lower cost. Plastic waste as raw material has economic impacts as well as effects on nature. Countries allocate large budgets for raw material imports. Likewise, the collection and recycling of plastic waste is a major problem for developing countries. In this regard, the reuse of plastic waste as raw material will also be economically beneficial to countries. At the same time, the utilization of plastic waste that does not disappear from nature will make a significant contribution to preventing environmental pollution. Sources / References 1- Using The Plastic Wastes in Fabrication of Composites Materials for Different Applications–Awham M. Hameed, Ahmed Ali Tabib 2- Pet Atıkları Kullanılarak Kompozit Malzeme Üretiminin Araştırılması / Investigation of Composite Material Production Using Pet Waste–Ardalan Zahrabi Arabi, İbrahim Bilici, Ali Y. Bilgesü 3- Re-Formative Polymer Composites from Plastic Waste: Novel Infrastructural Product Application–Richard P. Turner, Catherine A. Kelly, Rod Fox, Bill Hopkins 4- The Possibility of Making Composite Materials from Waste Plastic–Mehdi Seghiri, Djamel Boutoutaou, Abdelouahed Kriker, Mohamed Ibrahim Hachani