Composite Fibers from Recycled Plastics Using Melt Centrifugal Spinning

Abstract

New methods are being developed to enable the production of value-added materials from high-volume, low-cost feedstocks arising from domestic recycling streams. In this work, recycled bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polypropylene were spun into fibers from the melt using a centrifugal spinning technique. Mono-component fibers and 50/50 blends of each polymer and a 33/33/33 blend of all three polymers were evaluated. Fiber morphology, chemistry, thermal, and mechanical properties were probed. Fiber diameters ranged from ca. 1 to over 12 µm, with polypropylene fibers having the smallest fiber diameters. Mono-component fibers were generally defect-free, while composite fibers containing polypropylene were beady. Fibers made from polyethylene terephthalate had the highest tensile strength, and the addition of polyethylene terephthalate to the other polymers improved the mechanical properties of the blends. Nano-and micro-fibers from both pure and mixed waste streams are expected to have applications in myriad areas such as ultra/micro-filtration, composites, and insulation.

A Sustainable Recycling Alternative: Electrospun PET-Membranes for Air Nanofiltration

“…Although there are many advantages to using recycled PET to replace virgin PET, not all demand for PET can be met through recycling [6]. Bottle-grade PET exists as a semi-crystalline thermoplastic with high impact and tensile strength, chemical resistance, and reasonable thermal stability [2], which enables its use in various applications, such as in the development of nanofibers and composites [8][9][10].…”

Centrifugally Spun Recycled PET: Processing and Characterization

“…Recycled PET fibers have also been produced using centrifugal melt spinning. Zander et al spun recycled PET fibers with a diameter of 4.56 ± 2.97 μm via centrifugal melt spinning at 300 °C [22]. However, the relatively high viscosity of melt-spun material makes it difficult to generate thin fibers.…”

Ecological-and-hygienic estimation of cement compositions filled with recycled polymeric waste

“…Conclusions and prospects: Hygienic investigations have shown that the product of destruction of the samples of cement-sand compositions, filled with polymers, is a mixture of inorganic amorphous sediment, its main mass consists of CaO, Ca(OH) 2 , Ca(НСО 3 ) 2 97. 4-98.2% of the total mass sediment, Mg(OH) 2 , Al 2 (OH) 3 . Formed products of destruction are non-toxic insoluble or slightly soluble simple inorganic compounds that do not affect adversely the environment and human being.…”

“…Выводы и перспективы. Гигиеническими исследованиями установлено, что продуктом деструкции образцов цементно-песчаных композиций, наполненных полимерами, является смесь неорганического аморфного осадка, основную массу которого составляют СаО, Са(ОН) 2 , Са(НСО 3 ) 2 97,4-98,2% от общей массы осадка, а также Мg(ОН) 2 , Al 2 (OH) 3 . Образовавшиеся продукты деструкции являются нетоксичными, нерастворимыми или малорастворимыми простыми неорганическими соединениями, которые не оказывают отрицательного влияния на окружающую среду и человека.…”

“…Основным направлением дальнейших научных исследований планируется изучение влияния на образование продуктов деструкции в агрессивных средах поверхностноактивных веществ, нанесение которых предусматривается на поверхность полимерных наполнителей для улучшения их сцепления с компонентами цементной матрицы. [3][4][5][6][7]. Окрім цього, саме механічна переробка полімерних відходів є найменш ресурсовитратним способом їх утилізації.…”