Recyclability of Polyethylene/Polypropylene Binary Blends and Enhancement of Their Mechanical Properties by Reinforcement with Glass Fiber

Abstract

In this work, glass-fiber-reinforced and unreinforced polypropylene-polyethylene blends were obtained to examine the effects of recycling process on the mechanical and chemical properties. Tensile strength, flexural strength, izod impact strength, and melt flow index tests were applied to test specimens. After recycling process, the mechanical properties of both glass-fiber-reinforced and unreinforced polypropylene-polyethylene blends declined. Decrease of the mechanical properties of the recycled blends was supported by scanning electron microscopy morphologies revealed separation and degradation in matrix phase. It was observed that adding glass fiber in polypropylene-polyethylene led to the improvement in mechanical properties except impact strength.