Analysis of Thermomechanical Properties of Selected Class of Recycled Thermoplastic Materials Based on Their Applications

Polypropylene and polystyrene are petroleum-based thermoplastics which are commonly used and disposed of in the environment after their service life, leading to environmental degradation. There is a need to recycle polypropylene and polystyrene, but the effect of recycling on thermo-mechanical properties is not well understood. This study aims to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the recycled polypropylene and recycled polystyrene and compare them with corresponding virgin polypropylene and newly produced polystyrene (general purpose polystyrene 1540 and high impact polystyrene 7240). The study was carried out by preparing bar-shaped samples of recycled polypropylene, recycled polystyrene, general purpose polystyrene 1540, and high impact polystyrene 7240 by compression molding using a hot press and thermally characterizing them to determine glass transition temperature and melting temperature using differential scanning calorimetry. The changes in Young’s modulus, tensile strength, hardness, and toughness due to recycling activities were determined at room temperature (24 °C), 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C. The thermo-mechanical properties of recycled polystyrene (PS) were found to be comparable to those of high impact polystyrene (HIPS) 7240. The study revealed that the hardness and toughness for the recycled polymers were higher than those of corresponding virgin polymers. On the other hand, tensile strength and Young’s modulus for the recycled polymers were lower than those of the virgin polymers. Understanding the thermo-mechanical properties of the recycled polymers will contribute to more industrial applications hence increase the rate of recycling, resulting in a reduction in environmental pollution.