Structure and properties of reactively extruded opaque post-consumer recycled PET

Candal, M.V. ; Safari, M. ; Fernández, M. ; Otaegi, I. ; Múgica, A. ; Zubitur, M. ; Gerrica-Echevarria, G. ; Sebastián, V. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Irusta, S. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Loaeza, D. ; Maspoch, M.L. ; Santana, O.O. ; Müller, A.J.

Resumen: The recyclability of opaque PET, which contains TiO2 nanoparticles, has not been as well-studied as that of transparent PET. The objective of this work is to recycle post-consumer opaque PET through reactive extrusion with Joncryl. The effect of the reactive extrusion process on the molecular structure and on the thermal/mechanical/rheological properties of recycling post-consumer opaque PET (r-PET) has been analyzed. A 1% w/w Joncryl addition caused a moderate increase in the molecular weight. A moderate increase in chain length could not explain a decrease in the overall crystallization rate. This result is probably due to the presence of branches interrupting the crystallizable sequences in reactive extruded r-PET (REX-r-PET). A rheological investigation performed by SAOS/LAOS/elongational studies detected important structural modifications in REX-r-PET with respect to linear r-PET or a reference virgin PET. REX-r-PET is characterized by a slow relaxation process with enlarged elastic behaviors that are characteristic of a long-chain branched material. The mechanical properties of REX-r-PET increased because of the addition of the chain extender without a significant loss of elongation at the break. The reactive extrusion process is a suitable way to recycle opaque PET into a material with enhanced rheological properties (thanks to the production of a chain extension and long-chain branches) with mechanical properties that are comparable to those of a typical virgin PET sample.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/polym13203531

Año: 2021

Publicado en: Polymers 13, 20 (2021), 3531 [30 pp.]
ISSN: 2073-4360

Factor impacto JCR: 4.967 (2021)

Categ. JCR: POLYMER SCIENCE rank: 16 / 90 = 0.178 (2021) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 5.7 - Materials Science (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.726 - Polymers and Plastics (Q1) - Chemistry (miscellaneous) (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/INTERREG POCTEFA-RevalPET'UP-EFA329/19

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Ingeniería Química (Dpto. Ing.Quím.Tecnol.Med.Amb.)
Área (Departamento): Área Tecnologi. Medio Ambiente (Dpto. Ing.Quím.Tecnol.Med.Amb.)