Characterization of plastic waste coming from paper recycling

Abstract

Nowadays, for the discussion about solid wastes is necessary to understand its importance in recycling, the reuse of these materials is primordial for the sustainable development of several process industries. A collective understanding of the population for selective collection of solid wastes and its recycling is important for health, economy and environment. The materials more frequently found in the solid wastes with a great recycling potential can be classified in groups as: Paper, Glass, Metals and Plastics (Polymeric). The Companies of paper recycling possess a great volume of polymeric among the bales of paper that have several origins and belong to different families. Therefore, it would be interesting if these polymeric ones could be recycled separately or together to be reused in other products, produced for instance, for the molding process for injection. During the paper recycling it is generated a by-product that is actually rejected. This waste is composed by different polymeric, paper fibers, cloth, sand, and a very small percentage of metals and organic products. This solid waste can be, after previous treatment separated by difference of density. The polymers of smaller density in the water float and the other components decant. This work has one of the objectives the determination of the concentration of polymers of smaller density than the unit. It is also interesting to identify by the burning process the different families of polymers, as well as, to generate samples through the molding process for injection with the polymeric mixtures and to characterize them through mechanical traction strength.

Key words: polymer recycling, tensile tests, density separation.