Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability
Collection and mechanical recycling of post-consumer flexible polypropylene packaging is limited, principally due to polypropylene being very light-weight. Moreover, service life and thermal–mechanical reprocessing degrade PP and change its thermal and rheological properties according to the structu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/5/1142 |
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| author | Eliezer Velásquez Cristian Patiño Vidal Guillermo Copello Carol López de Dicastillo C. J. Pérez Abel Guarda María José Galotto |
| author_facet | Eliezer Velásquez Cristian Patiño Vidal Guillermo Copello Carol López de Dicastillo C. J. Pérez Abel Guarda María José Galotto |
| author_sort | Eliezer Velásquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Collection and mechanical recycling of post-consumer flexible polypropylene packaging is limited, principally due to polypropylene being very light-weight. Moreover, service life and thermal–mechanical reprocessing degrade PP and change its thermal and rheological properties according to the structure and provenance of recycled PP. This work determined the effect of incorporating two fumed nanosilica (NS) types on processability improvement of post-consumer recycled flexible polypropylene (PCPP) through ATR-FTIR, TGA, DSC, MFI and rheological analysis. Presence of trace polyethylene in the collected PCPP increased the thermal stability of the PP and was significantly maximized by NS addition. The onset decomposition temperature raised around 15 °C when 4 and 2 wt% of a non-treated and organically modified NS were used, respectively. NS acted as a nucleating agent and increased the crystallinity of the polymer, but the crystallization and melting temperatures were not affected. The processability of the nanocomposites was improved, observed as an increase in viscosity, storage and loss moduli with respect to the control PCPP, which were deteriorated due to chain scission during recycling. The highest recovery in viscosity and reduction in MFI were found for the hydrophilic NS due to a greater impact of hydrogen bond interactions between the silanol groups of this NS and the oxidized groups of the PCPP. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:14:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea90a60923c24b6ea314133b4523ef74 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:14:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea90a60923c24b6ea314133b4523ef742023-11-17T08:26:46ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-02-01155114210.3390/polym15051142Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal StabilityEliezer Velásquez0Cristian Patiño Vidal1Guillermo Copello2Carol López de Dicastillo3C. J. Pérez4Abel Guarda5María José Galotto6Packaging Innovation Center (LABEN-Chile), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170201, ChilePackaging Innovation Center (LABEN-Chile), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170201, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias Químicas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, ArgentinaPackaging Laboratory, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), 46980 Paterna, SpainInstitute of Materials Science and Technology (INTEMA), National University of Mar del Plata-National Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata 7600, ArgentinaPackaging Innovation Center (LABEN-Chile), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170201, ChilePackaging Innovation Center (LABEN-Chile), University of Santiago of Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170201, ChileCollection and mechanical recycling of post-consumer flexible polypropylene packaging is limited, principally due to polypropylene being very light-weight. Moreover, service life and thermal–mechanical reprocessing degrade PP and change its thermal and rheological properties according to the structure and provenance of recycled PP. This work determined the effect of incorporating two fumed nanosilica (NS) types on processability improvement of post-consumer recycled flexible polypropylene (PCPP) through ATR-FTIR, TGA, DSC, MFI and rheological analysis. Presence of trace polyethylene in the collected PCPP increased the thermal stability of the PP and was significantly maximized by NS addition. The onset decomposition temperature raised around 15 °C when 4 and 2 wt% of a non-treated and organically modified NS were used, respectively. NS acted as a nucleating agent and increased the crystallinity of the polymer, but the crystallization and melting temperatures were not affected. The processability of the nanocomposites was improved, observed as an increase in viscosity, storage and loss moduli with respect to the control PCPP, which were deteriorated due to chain scission during recycling. The highest recovery in viscosity and reduction in MFI were found for the hydrophilic NS due to a greater impact of hydrogen bond interactions between the silanol groups of this NS and the oxidized groups of the PCPP.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/5/1142nanocompositepost-consumer polypropylenefumed silicaprocessabilityextrusion |
| spellingShingle | Eliezer Velásquez Cristian Patiño Vidal Guillermo Copello Carol López de Dicastillo C. J. Pérez Abel Guarda María José Galotto Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability Polymers nanocomposite post-consumer polypropylene fumed silica processability extrusion |
| title | Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability |
| title_full | Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability |
| title_fullStr | Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability |
| title_short | Developing Post-Consumer Recycled Flexible Polypropylene and Fumed Silica-Based Nanocomposites with Improved Processability and Thermal Stability |
| title_sort | developing post consumer recycled flexible polypropylene and fumed silica based nanocomposites with improved processability and thermal stability |
| topic | nanocomposite post-consumer polypropylene fumed silica processability extrusion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/5/1142 |
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