Determination of nucleus density in semicrystalline polymers from non-isothermal crystallization curves.

The present study introduces a new calculation method for obtaining nucleus density formed during non-isothermal crystallization of semicrystalline polymers. Isotactic polypropylene homopolymer (iPP) was used as a semicrystalline model polymer and its crystalline structure was modified using highly efficient nucleating agents or different cooling rates in order to manipulate nucleus density (N) within a wide range. The melting and crystallization characteristics were studied by calorimetry (DSC) and the nucleus density was calculated from the crystallization curves recorded under non-isothermal conditions at constant cooling rate. The nucleus density was correlated to the optical property, in fact to the haze index of injection molded plaques in order to qualify the calculated values of N. It was found that N increases more orders of magnitude in nucleated samples and correlates strongly to the optical properties. These observations are according to our expectations and indicate clearly the reliability of the proposed calculation approach

Analysis of different polypropylene waste bales: evaluation of the source material for PP recycling

The use of the polypropylene (PP) recyclates in certain processing methods and applications is still limited by their quality. The high melt flow rate (MFR) and the inconsistent properties of recyclates are common obstacles to their use. Therefore, this work aims to identify possible reasons for the low and inconsistent quality of PP recyclates depending on the source material in PP waste bales. The levels of polymeric and non-polymeric contaminants were assessed. As mixing of different PP grades is an issue for the MFR, the proportions of the different processing grades were also investigated and the potential of sorting by processing method to produce lower MFR recyclates was assessed. The analysis showed that the waste bales, although pre-sorted, still contained high amounts of contaminants. Injection moulding was found to be the predominant processing method in the bales, explaining the high MFR of PP recyclates. However, a sufficiently high amount of low MFR products was found in the bales, which seems promising for the production of low MFR recyclates. Seasonal variations in the composition of the waste bales were identified as one of the reasons for the inconsistent qualities of recyclates. These results highlight the importance of proper sorting and treatment of PP waste bales prior to reprocessing in order to obtain high-quality recycled products