Circular economy approach of recycled polyethylene: Influence of peroxidetype and its percentage on molecular structure and rheological properties

In the context of circular economy and preservation of natural resources and reduction of plasticwaste, the recycling of polyethylene products is very prominent and of interest, but degradation duringprocessing limits its reuse in valuable applications. Therefore, improving the molecular structure andprocessability of recycled polyethylene compounds using peroxides is an effective approach to makethem suitable for many applications. Hence, in this study, polyethylene recycled compounds withdifferent types and percentages of peroxide were prepared by melt mixing method in a single screwextruder. The effect of peroxides on the molecular structure of recycled polyethylene compounds wasinvestigated, and the results of the rheological test showed that the incorporation of all peroxides canincrease the storage modulus and melt viscosity of the recycled compounds. Within all the preparedsamples, the recycled compound containing ۱.۱wt% of DBPH peroxide in the form of masterbatchshowed a significant increase in the rheological properties compared to the unmodified sample.

کلیدواژه ها:

Circular Economy ، Recycled Polyethylene ، Effective Peroxide ، Chain Branching ، Rheological properties