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

由于塑料约占垃圾填埋量的20%，回收塑料在减少固体废物流动方面发挥着重要作用。必须教育学生回收塑料的方法，并更好地控制由回收材料制成的产品的性能。该项目通过增加对塑料在回收过程中微观结构变化的研究来加强材料回收实验。这些实验是使用扫描电子显微镜进行的。这些实验包括收集和清洗消费后容器、研磨、挤出复合和造粒、干式注射成型，以及分析回收塑料的结构。通过这个项目的实施，学生能够更好地了解回收引起的聚合物结构的变化，并利用结构性质关系来控制回收材料的性能。工科和非理科专业的学生通过这一系列实验，获得了基本的认识和实践经验。他们在减少、再利用和回收塑料方面获得了丰富的洞察力。*

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. *