Processing and properties of cryogenically milled post-consumer mixed plastic waste

This research is an effort to produce a useful polymer from a post-consumer mixed polymer waste stream consisting primarily of polypropylene and polyethylene. Mixed waste flakes were milled to a fine powder by cryogenic impact milling, and then injection molded into tensile test samples. The effect of incorporating nanoclay before milling was investigated. Despite the presence of porosity in the milled powder samples, the tensile properties were found to be higher than those of the unmilled polymer. Differential scanning calorimetry thermal analysis suggests the possibility of the formation of alloy between the immiscible polymers.