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

这个小企业技术转移研究（STTR）第一阶段项目探讨了将不混溶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。该工艺需要产生具有皮/芯形态的纤维，以自增强所得复合材料并消除分离步骤。新的回收协议将首先在PP/尼龙混合物中实施，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混溶聚合物共混物的机械性能？和B）在按比例放大工艺原型时应考虑的主要因素是什么？该项目的成功完成将产生一种新的使能加工路线，用于从回收的PP/尼龙成本有效地制造自增强聚合物复合材料。 仅就地毯回收市场而言，它就有望减少超过40亿磅/年的现有填埋地毯废物，并将其转化为增值产品。 这将减少地毯废物流进入垃圾填埋场，并减少对塑料制造中使用的石油基原材料的需求。复杂的分选和分离步骤的消除进一步意味着制造中更少的能量消耗。 所得产品的轻质可进一步提高运输中的燃料效率。

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.