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Journal of Environmental Waste Management and Recycling | Volume 1
March 05-06, 2018 | London, UK
Recycling & Waste Management
5
th
International Conference on
T
hermosets, elastomers, soft foams, rubbers, fiberglass
and other polymeric matrix composites are generally
considered difficult-to-recycle materials because of the
network structure of organic macromolecules. In the best
case, after grinding, particles and granules are used as
fillers for new mixtures and blends. For example, end-of-
life tires are ground to separate rubber, harmonic steel,
and textiles. Rubber granules are used to produce parts
by adding a polyurethane binder whereas rubber powders
are used for rubberized asphalts. In other very rare cases,
the organic matrix is evacuated to recover fibers and
other fillers. Otherwise energy recovery seems to be the
only possible convenient strategy for those materials after
disposal. However, recent achievements have shown that
a new recycling strategy is possible also for this class of
difficult-to-recycle plastics. By setting the grinding process,
it is possible to provide new reactivity to ground powder
and granules. That has been shown in the European Project
SMART (Sustainable Moulding of Articles from Recycled
Tyres) where industrial products have been made by using
100% recycled rubber from tires without any additive or
linking agent. The same concept has been extended to many
other materials with similar network structure: fiberglass,
polyurethane foams, MDF (medium density fiberboard),
PCBs (printed circuit boards). From a recycling point of
view, a primary route is not possible as recycled materials
cannot be processed with the same machines of virgin ones.
Nevertheless important engineering properties are obtained
in those recycled products which can be effectively used in
many industrial fields.
e:
fabrizio.quadrini@uniroma2.itA new route for difficult-to-recycle plastics: Thermosets and composites
Fabrizio Quadrini
University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy