Improvement of multilayer plastic delamination using surface modification.

• Surface modification of MFPW flakes improves the delamination process. • Surface modification allows the penetration of the dissolving agent inside MFPW. • The delamination time strongly depends on the distance between the microholes. • Abrasion of the MFPW surface increases the specific surface of the cross section area. Multilayer flexible packaging waste (MFPW) represents a critical issue in the field of waste management. The heterogeneous composition of this type of plastic makes its recyclability challenging. In this context, the delamination process appears to be a promising way to recycle the polymers layers separately. However, this process is still limited for a few MFPW. This work propose an innovative way to improve the delamination process using three surface modification techniques (mechanical and laser microperforation (µP), and abrasion) on the MFPW surface in order to accelerate the diffusion of the dissolving agent. The delamination was tested in a 10 % sodium hydroxide solution at 25ºC. Under this study, the mechanical µP and the abrasion gave the best results of delamination compared to the laser µP (total delamination in 25 min vs 45 min, respectively). It was concluded that the distance between the microholes was an important factor in both µP techniques. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]