Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reprocessing of Polyolefins

Changes in Rheology and Reprocessing Case Studies

  • Chapter
Frontiers in the Science and Technology of Polymer Recycling

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 351))

Abstract

Plastics recycling has received significant attention within the past decade. Positive or negative, this attention has provided an impetus for the plastics industry to advance recycling technology. Polyethylene resins have been identified as primary materials for solid waste minimization and recycling. This paper is concerned with the effects of recycling on the rheological properties of high density polyethylene blow molding resins. Properties such as shear and elongational viscosity and elastic modulus are examined. The changes that have been observed are analyzed in terms of known degradation mechanisms such as chain scission and cross-linking, and their relationship to the Phillips and Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems. Case studies are used to illustrate the practical challenges faced by manufacturers who use recycled polyethylene, including discussions on rheological considerations in woodfelled polymers and rotomolded structures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Brooke, L., Kobe, G. and Sawyer, C. (1990) Recyclability, Automotive Industries, September.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Pilot Project - Barhaven Demonstration Project (1990) Canadian Plastics, March.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bond, B.E. (1990) Recycling Plastics in Akron, Ohio, Proceedings of the SPE - RETEC, Toronto, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Packaging Without Plastics (1987) German Society for Research into Packaging Markets.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Lynch, M. (1990) Drinking boxes now recyclable, Canadian Plastics, July/August.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Deloitte and Touche (1991) Summary Report - Energy and environmental impact profiles in Canada of TETRA BRIK ASEPTIC carton and glass bottle packaging system, Toronto.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Did the earth get a break today or did the public misdirect MacDonald’s? (1991) Today’s Generation,March.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kenny, G.R. and Bruner, R.S. (1993) Experience and Advances in Automated Separation of Plastics for Recycling, Proceedings of the SPE-RETEC, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ehrig, R. (1992) Plastics Recycling, Hanser, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ezrin, M., Wyatt, D., Lavigne, G. and Garton, A. (1994) Quantification and control of contaminants in recycled HDPE, proceedings of the SPE-ANTEC’94, San Francisco, 2922 – 2926.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Portugués, M.M. (1994) Situaciôn del reciclaje de los materiales plâsticos utilizados para el cultivo de la banana en Costa Rica, I Coloquio de Reciclado de Plasticos, Guadalajara, Mexico.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Waters, K. (1989) Bottles, plastic coextrustion, multilayer and high barier, Packaging’s Encyclopedia, 60.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Renfree R.W. et al (1989) Physical characteristics and properties of profile extrusions produced from post consumer commingled plastic wastes, Proceedings of SPE-ANTEC’89, 1809 – 1812.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Engleman, P.V., et al (1992) Extrusion - compression of commingled resin blends, Plastics Engineering, February, 27 – 31.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Meyers, G.E. and Chahyadi, I. S. (1991) Wood flour/polyppropylene composites, Inter. J. Polymer Materials 15, 21 – 44.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rathje, W.L. (1989) Rubbish!, The Atlantic Monthly, December.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Paudich, C.W. and Ritzman, H.B. (1993) Rapid identification of plastics utilizing fast NIR-spectroscopy, Proceedings of the ReC’93, Geneva, vol. II, 268 – 271.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Gibbs, M.L. (1990) Post consumer recycled HDPE: is suitable for blowmolding?, Plastics Engineering, July, 55 – 59.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Zahavich, A.T.P, Latto, B., Takacs, E. and Vlachopoulos, J. (1997) The effect of multiple extrusion passes during the recycling of high density polyethylene, Advances in Polymer Techology 16, 11 – 24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Han, C.D. (1976) Rheology in Polymer Processing, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Tuminello, W.H. (1986) Molecular weight and molecular weight distribution from dynamic measurements of polymer melts, Polymer Engineering and Science 26, 1339 – 1347.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tuminello, W.H. and Cudre-Mauroux, N. (1991) Determining molecular weight distributions from viscosity versus shear rate flow curves, Polymer Engineering and Science, 31, 1496 – 1507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Yu, T.L. and Ma, S.C. (1992) Polymer molecular weight from loss modulus, Polymer Journal 24, 1321 – 1328.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zeichner, G.R. and Macosko, C.W. (1982) On line viscoelastic measurements for polymer melt processing, Proceedings of SPE-ANTEC’82, San Francisco, 79 – 81.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Shang, S.W. (1993) The precise determination of polydispersity index in Theological testing of polypropylene, Advances in Polymer Techology 12, 389–401.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hinsken, H., Moss, S., Paquet, J-R. and Zweifel, H. (1991) Degradation of polyolefins during melt processing, Polymer Degradation and Stability 34, 279–293.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Moss, S. and Zweifel, H. (1989) Degradation and Stabilization of high density polyethylene during multiple extrusions, Polymer Degradation and Stability 25, 229 – 245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Mendelson, R.A. and Finger, F. L. (1975) High density polyethylene melt elasticity - some anomalous observations on the effects of molecular structure, J. of Applied Polymer Science 19, 1061 – 1077.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Shroff, R., Shida, M. (1977) Effect of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution on the elasticity of polymer melts, Proceedings of SPE-ANTEC, 285–289.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Nakajima, N. and Shida, M. (1966) Viscoelastic behavior of polyethylene in capillary flow expressed with three material functions, Trans. Soc. Rheol. 10, 299–316.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ghijsels, A., Ente, J. and Raadsen, J. (1990) Melt strength behavior of polyethylene and its relation to bubble stability in film blowing, Int. Polymer Processing 5, 284–286.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ghijsels, A., De Clippeleir, J. (1994) Melt strength behavior of polypropylene Int. Polymer Processing 9, 252 – 257.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Nichols, K., Voldner, E., Vlachopoulos, J. Takacs, E. and Kontopoulos, M. Recycled Rotational Molding Resin,U.S. patent pending.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Schut, J. (1997) Wood-filled thermoplastics go commercial, Plastics Formulating and Compounding, January/February, 35 – 36.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Uniplast Industries, Inc., Forest Ave., Orillia, Ontario, Canada, L3V 6R9

    A. T. P. Zahavich

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4L7

    J. Vlachopoulos

Authors
  1. A. T. P. Zahavich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Vlachopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Chem. and Polymer Sci .& Technology, Middle East Technical University, 06531, Ankara, Turkey

    Güneri Akovali (Director, lecturer) (Director, lecturer)

  2. Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, 4800, Guimares, Portugal

    Carlos A. Bernardo (Co-Director, lecturer) (Co-Director, lecturer)

  3. Polymer Tech., Ortec Corp., 2395 Speakman Drive, L5K 1B3, Missisagua, Ontario, Canada

    Jacob Leidner (lecturer) (lecturer)

  4. Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), 75 de Mortagne, J4B 6Y4, Boucherville, Quebec, Canada

    Leszek A. Utracki (lecturer) (lecturer)

  5. Polymer Processing Institute at Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, 07030, Hoboken, NJ, USA

    Marino Xanthos (lecturer) (lecturer)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zahavich, A.T.P., Vlachopoulos, J. (1998). Reprocessing of Polyolefins. In: Akovali, G., Bernardo, C.A., Leidner, J., Utracki, L.A., Xanthos, M. (eds) Frontiers in the Science and Technology of Polymer Recycling. NATO ASI Series, vol 351. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1626-0_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1626-0_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5074-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1626-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation