Microstructural Analysis of Recycled Plastics Using ScanningElectron Microscope: Enhanced Plastic Recycling Experiments

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Since plastics account for approximately 20 percent of the landfill volume, recycling plastics plays a significant role in reducing solid waste flow. Students must be educated in the methods of recycling plastics and better controlling the properties of products made from recycled materials. This project is enhancing materials recycling experiments by adding study of the microstructural change in plastics due to recycling. These experiments are done using a scanning electron microscope. These experiments include collecting and cleaning postconsumer containers, grinding, extrusion compounding and pelletizing, dry injection molding, and analyzing the structure of recycled plastics. With the implementation of this project, students are able to better understand the change in polymeric structure caused by recycling, and to control the properties of the recycled materials using the structure property relationship. Students in the technology majors and non-science-majors are gaining fundamental understanding and practical experience through this series of experiments. They are gaining knowledgeable insight into reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics. *