1. Valorization Strategy for Leather Waste as Filler for High-Density Polyethylene Composites: Analysis of the Thermal Stability, Insulation Properties and Chromium Leaching
- Author
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Pere Fullana-i-Palmer, Helena Oliver-Ortega, Quim Tarrés, Rita Puig, Marc Delgado-Aguilar, Eylem Kiliç, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Ambiental, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials
- Subjects
Reciclatge (Residus, etc.) ,Materials science ,Thermal properties ,Polymers and Plastics ,Composite number ,Organic chemistry ,HDPE ,Cuir -- Residus ,composites ,Article ,High density polyethylene ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Differential scanning calorimetry ,QD241-441 ,Leather -- By-products ,Thermal stability ,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy ,Composite material ,Desenvolupament humà i sostenible::Enginyeria ambiental::Tractament dels residus [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC] ,Composites ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Chemical resistance ,thermal properties ,General Chemistry ,Polymer ,Polyethylene ,leather waste ,leaching ,chemistry ,Recycling (Waste, etc.) ,Leather waste ,Leaching ,High-density polyethylene - Abstract
Leather waste (BF) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were compounded in a lab scale internal mixer and processed by means of injection molding. In this study, leather waste and HDPE composites were characterized by instrumental techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Physical integrity of composites against chemical exposure and chromium-leaching properties of the composites were also investigated. This study shows that the incorporation of 30% leather waste fiber into HDPE composites decreases the thermal conductivity of the composite samples by 17% in comparison to that of neat HDPE samples. Composites showed no thermal degradation during processing cycle. Strong interfacial bonding between leather waste and polymer results in comparable low-leachate levels to maximum allowed concentration for nonhazardous waste, and good chemical resistance properties. The BF/HDPE composites could be a promising low-cost alternative in industrial application areas of HDPE, where high-mechanical strength and low-thermal conductivity is required. This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, project KAIROS-BIOCIR (PID2019-104925RB-C32).
- Published
- 2021