STTR Phase I: Self-Reinforced Composites Made of Immiscible Polymers from Recycled Products

这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目探索了一种将不相容的聚合物废物转化为自增强高性能复合材料的创新工艺的技术可行性和商业潜力。这一过程需要创造具有鞘/芯形态的纤维，以自增强所得到的复合材料并消除分离步骤。新的回收协议将首先在PP/尼龙共混物中实施，并在地毯回收中进行测试。第一阶段项目解决了以下关键问题：a)新方法能否有效地用于提高不相容聚合物共混物的机械性能？以及b)在扩大流程原型时应考虑哪些主要因素？该项目的成功完成将为以低成本、低成本的回收PP/尼龙制备自增强聚合物复合材料提供一条新的工艺路线。仅就地毯回收市场而言，它就有望每年减少超过40亿磅的现有填埋地毯废物，并将它们转化为增值产品。这将减少进入垃圾填埋场的地毯废料，并减少对塑料制造中使用的以石油为基础的原材料的需求。取消复杂的分拣和分离步骤进一步意味着制造中的能源消耗更少。产品的轻量化可以进一步提高运输中的燃油效率。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project explores the technical feasibility and commercial potential of an innovative process for converting immiscible polymer wastes into self-reinforced high-performance composites. The process entails creating fibers with sheath/core morphology to self-reinforce the resulting composites and eliminate separation steps. The new recycling protocol will be initially implemented in PP/nylon blends and tested in carpet recycling. The Phase I project addresses the following critical questions: a) Can the new method be used effectively in enhancing the mechanical properties of immiscible polymer blends? and b) What are the major factors that should be considered in scaling up the process prototype? The successful completion of this project will yield a novel enabling processing route for making self-reinforced polymer composites from recycled PP/nylon cost effectively. For the carpet recycling market alone, it holds the promise of reducing more than 4 billion pounds/yr of existing landfilled carpet waste and converting them into value-added products. This will both reduce the carpet waste stream going to the landfill and reduce the demand for the petroleum-based raw materials used in plastics manufacturing. The elimination of complicated sorting and separation steps further implies less energy consumption in manufacturing. The lightness of the resultant products can further enhance fuel efficiency in transportation.