Mechanical recycling of postused high-density polyethylene crates using the restabilization technique. I. Influence of reprocessing

Abstract

A remelting–restabilization technique was applied for the recycling of postused, yellow-pigmented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle crates. Multiple extrusion cycles procedure, at different reprocessing temperatures, was performed for monitoring the processing stability of the restabilized and nonrestabilized material as reference. In addition, mechanical properties measurements were carried out, to study further the effect of restabilization on the performance of the recycled material. Finally, repigmentation was used to investigate the role of new pigments on the final recycled product. The results illustrate that restabilization of postused crates leads to careful reprocessing without severe degradation, which is an essential prerequisite for reuse in the original application. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 1775–1785, 1999