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In this study, a preliminary finding is carried out to obtain the optimum E-glass fiber content in polypropylene (PP) plastic products using loadings of 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%. The formulation with the optimum loading of 10 wt % glass fiber was reprocessed 10 times via extrusion and compression molding techniques to simulate actual recycling and impacts on service life properties such as mechanical, toughness, chemical, thermal, composition, and morphology. In the result, mechanical properties were lost after each reprocessing without effect on the chemical properties and elemental compositions. The thermal studies showed a decrease in degradation temperatures with the onset degradation temperature (T Onset ) for the one-time reprocessed PP recorded at 336.93 C with a maximum rate of weight loss (T Max ) at 427.68 C which further reduced to 259.90 C (T Max of 388.47 C) after 10 extrusion run showing onestep decomposition patterns. This work provides that glass fiber-reinforced plastics should not be reprocessed beyond 3 times except when refreshed with the addition of virgin PP to make up for the lost property. This will be very useful for manufacturers who want to simultaneously save costs (retain profit margin) and maintain the environment.

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Pineapple Leaf Fibre (PALF) is one of the natural fibres that have high potential in the industry. Natural fibres have become the main alternative source for reinforced polymer composites. The objective of this study is to observe the effect of chemical treatments using Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution, Zinc chloride, Acetic Anhydride and Nitric acid on the mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fibre reinforced polypropylene composites. The tensile test was conducted by using the ASTM D638-10 to obtain the tensile strength (TS) and Young's modulus (YM), Flexural properties were conducted to determine the flexural strength (FS) and flexural modulus (FM) of the reinforced composites using the ASTM D256-10 method, and impact test was conducted to determine the impact strength (IS) of the reinforced composites using the Izod ASTM D790-17 method. From the results obtained, the composites with surface modified PALF fillers show enhanced mechanical properties over the untreated PALF fillers in this order; for TS untreated composite < modified with NaOH < modified with C 3 H 6 O 3 < modified with ZnCl < modified with HNO 3. For YM untreated composite < modified with HNO 3 < modified with C 3 H 6 O 3 < modified with NaOH < modified with ZnCl. For FS, untreated PALF/PP composites < modified with NaOH < modified with ZnCl < modified with HNO 3 < modified with C 3 H 6 O 3. For FM, untreated reinforced PALF/PP composites < modified with NaOH < modified with ZnCl < modified with C 3 H 6 O 3 < modified with HNO 3. For IS, the untreated reinforced PALF/PP composites < modified with NaOH < modified with HNO 3 < modified with ZnCl < modified with C 3 H 6 O 3. SEM analysis was carried out on the PALF before the compounding to analyze the effect of the surface modification agents.

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In the present work, a combination of virgin polypropylene and E-glass fiber was subjected to ten (10) reprocessing cycles via extrusion and compression molding techniques to mimic recycling and its impacts on the bending properties of the composites. The samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and melt flow index (MFI). The results revealed a gradual depreciation in flexural properties after each reprocessing cycle. The XRD analysis indicated a substantial reduction of peak intensities, degrees of crystallinities, and average crystallite sizes, explaining the lowered flexural properties in addition to a possible reduction in glass fiber lengths (fiber attrition). Melt-processing behavior shows a progressive increase of MFI from 7 to 19.16 g/10 min, confirming the probable damage in molecular weight and loss of complex viscosity. Chemical and structural analysis showed no alteration in the polypropylene major functional groups. It is concluded that the reductions in molecular weight and composites’ properties occurred due to chain scission from recycling effects; hence, glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites can be recycled only three (3) times unless it is refreshed by the addition of virgin parts to compensate for the lost property.