Recycled PP/HDPE Blends: A Thermal Degradation and Mechanical Properties Study

Plastic waste is a current major environmental concerns leading to long-term hazards. Recycling concept is the best practice to minimise the amount of plastic waste in the environment. This initiative promotes development of sustainable technology. Recently, plastics are gaining more recognition in construction field and are being applied widely due to its improved performance, versatility, durability and lightweight. In this study, the use of recycled polypropylene (rPP) and recycled high density polyethylene (rHDPE) as an alternative material for construction are investigated. The thermal degradation and mechanical properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile testing method respectively. TGA analysis conducted on recycled and virgin PP and HDPE showed that they have a stable composition. Moreover, TGA was also done to compare recycled and virgin material to assess the degradation process with respect to the total weight loss of samples. The results obtained indicate that the composition of rPP gives higher tensile strength. 100% rPP/rHDPE blend gave the best performance in mechanical properties and have a lower degradation temperature which are requirements for the sintering process necessary in this research study, to produce new lightweight product.