Simulating the recycling of milk bottles in the UK: Influence of blending virgin and repeatedly melt-extruded high-density polyethylene
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The UK Dairy Roadmap has set a target of achieving 50 wt.-% high density polyethylene (HDPE) recyclate in their HDPE milk bottles. Such high recyclate content will lead to the accumulation of HDPE recyclates that have been subjected to different number of melt extrusion cycles in the supply chain. This work investigates the structure-property relationship of blending virgin HDPE (vHDPE) with these different grades of repeatedly melt-extruded HDPE (rHDPE). HDPE was subjected to 10, 20 and 50 melt-extrusion cycles and blended with vHDPE. No significant difference in terms of melt rheology, tensile properties and overall migration in acidic and aqueous environments of the blends of the different rHDPEs with vHDPE was observed when compared to vHDPE. This study demonstrates the feasibility of blending up to 50 wt.-% rHDPE of different grades with vHDPE as set out in the UK Dairy Roadmap.
Date Issued
2023-02
Date Acceptance
2022-10-21
Citation
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2023, 189, pp.1-8
ISSN
0921-3449
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
1
End Page
8
Journal / Book Title
Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume
189
Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344922005663?via%3Dihub
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Engineering, Environmental
Environmental Sciences
Engineering
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Mechanical recycling
Mechanical properties
Polymer degradation
Discolouration
Extrusion
THERMAL-OXIDATION
PROCESSING STABILITY
KINETIC-MODEL
DEGRADATION
MECHANISMS
POLYMERS
DESIGN
HEAT
Environmental Sciences
05 Environmental Sciences
09 Engineering
12 Built Environment and Design
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
106734
Date Publish Online
2022-10-29