Recycling of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend

Abstract

Mechanical recycling is one of the possible ways to enhance the value of postconsumer plastic materials. However, the final performance of the recycled material will strongly depend on the quality of the selection made on the recycled product and on the degradation of the properties. In this context, the present study examines the effect of reprocessing for five successive extrusion cycles on the rheological, mechanical and thermal properties of a poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-based blend on samples reprocessed in both dry and wet conditions. The results showed that when the sample was processed after drying, degradation of the material was less than when it was processed in wet conditions. However, the experimental results showed that the decrease of rheological and mechanical properties was not so dramatic, and therefore the material could be reused in both cases.

Investigation on the Properties and on the Photo-Oxidation Behaviour of Polypropylene/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites

“…The polypropylene nanocomposites do not follow the Cox-Merz rule, and, indeed, the two curves do not superimpose, being the capillary flow curves at high shear rates lower than that of the complex viscosity. This result has already been described for heterogeneous, multiphase materials, such as polymer blends and polymer-based nanocomposites [28][29][30][31]. Surprisingly, the flow curves of the two nanocomposites show a viscosity lower than that of the neat matrix.…”

Biocomposites of Epoxidized Natural Rubber/Poly(Lactic Acid) Modified with Natural Substances: Influence of Biomolecules on the Aging Properties (Part II)

“…The authors underlined the importance of PLA-based materials in 3D-printing and the development of porous PLA materials for biomedical applications, but they also drew attention to the importance of the recyclability and reformability of the PLA-containing blends. The last problem was also underlined in the recently published work by La Mantia et al [ 16 ], namely, the lack of sufficient scientific background regarding the recycling of biopolymer blends. Contrary to synthetic polymer blends, PLA-containing materials exhibit a higher degradation rate, which is obviously attributed to the poly(lactic acid) content [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Yet, since PLA blending is a promising modification technique enabling us to overcome some noticeable drawbacks of neat poly(lactic acid) [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ] and hybrid bioplastic material creation helps to balance the production costs, the stabilization of PLA-based blends requires significant attention. Fortunately, similarly to pure bio- and synthetic polymers, the recycling of their blends might be carried out via mechanical or chemical recycling methods [ 1 , 16 ].…”

The Effects of Chain-Extending Cross-Linkers on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(butylene adipate terephthalate)/Poly(lactic acid) Blown Films

“…The global plastic waste problems have positively affected the development of biopolymers and other sustainable materials [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] towards the substitution of traditional packaging plastics such as polyethylene and polystyrene with biodegradable starch and biopolyesters [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]; however, for more demanding engineering applications, their mechanical properties must be enhanced without compromising their biodegradability. To accelerate this conversion, the properties of the biomaterials must be enhanced without compromising their biodegradability.…”