A review on composite materials based on recycled thermoplastics and glass fibres

The purpose of this paper is to review recent work on composite materials based on recycled thermoplastics and glass fibres (GFs). The high collection and separation cost of plastics waste, and the legislative push to increase recycling rates, require the inclusion of increasing proportions of low-quality plastic waste into recycled products. A robust method for upgrading mixed plastics recyclates is the incorporation of fillers and reinforcements. In particular, addition of chopped GF can lead to material systems with more favourable and consistent sets of mechanical properties. Provided a good interfacial adhesion is achieved, the key structural properties of the composite (stiffness and strength) are mainly dictated by the reinforcement. Therefore, a wide range of polymers, including blends, are accessible for recycling into semistructural products. Glass fibres are one of the most cost-effective ways of reinforcing recycled polymers, as testified by several patents and commercial products which appeared in the last decade.