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Abstract
Polyolefins have a multitude of uses across packaging, automotive and construction sectors. Their resistance to degradation during reprocessing enables recyclability, but variability in recycled polymer feedstocks renders it difficult to assure their manufacturing suitability. The lack of quality control methods has disabled circular economy pathways; product failure is costly, wasteful and time intensive. Using rheology-simulated and extrusion-based recycling experiments, we explore the degradation pathways of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Chain scission dominates during the initial degradation of HDPE, and increasing exposure to O2 shifts the dominant mechanism to long-chain branching. Importantly, extending this method to post-consumer recyclate (PCR), the results show potential as a methodology to assess recyclate quality to enable a circular plastics economy. In this study we establish the validity of this rheology simulation to define a characteristic degradation parameter, relating it to the structural evolution under different environments defined for virgin HDPE and post-consumer recyclate (PCR).
Original language | English |
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Journal | Nature Communications |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - 4 Sept 2024 |
Keywords
- Circular economy
- Mechanical recycling
- Rheology
- High-density polyethylene
- Plastics
- Quality control
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One Bin to Rule Them All
Shaver, M. (PI), Holmes, H. (CoI) & Sharmina, M. (CoI)
1/11/20 → 31/01/24
Project: Research