A study on the mechanical properties of the combination of glass fibre and mineral fillers for reinforcing recycled low density polyethylene
Recycled plastic materials are known to possess inferior mechanical properties. Therefore, to enhance the performance of these materials, recyclers normally add fillers as reinforcement to the polymer matrix. In this study, the effects of combination of fibreglass (FG) and mineral fillers, such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and talc, on the mechanical properties of recycled low density polyethylene (LDPE) are investigated. The filler percentage is kept constant at 30 wt%. The plastics and fillers are initially mixed together using a twin screw extruder and then granulated using a pelletiser. The granules are fed into an injection moulder, producing standard sized test samples. The flexural and tensile tests are performed by using an INSTRON 5543 mechanical tester with a maximum load capacity of 1kN. The mechanical properties of the recycled LDPE are found to enhance with the addition of the fillers. Generally, the addition of fillers to recycled LDPE increases its flexural strength and modulus by 40-150% and 64-250% respectively depending on the formulation. The addition of fillers to recycled LDPE increases its tensile strength and modulus by 20-72% and 68-320% respectively depending on the formulation. Talc-FG composites exhibited higher tensile and flexural properties as compared to that of CaCO3-FG composites. Recycled LDPE, even reinforced with fillers, do not possess comparable mechanical properties to that of wood. Reinforced recycled LDPE could be possibly be used to manufacture plastic lumber or low pressure pipes. Hence, reinforced recycled LDPE is not a feasible alternative for materials used in high-load bearing applications.