Compatibilizers for recycled polyethylene

Abstract

There are strong environmental pressures on industry to recycle waste polymers, particularly those used in packaging applications. Polyethylenes (PE), in the form of high density polyethylene (HDPE) moulding grades, and low density polyethylene (LDPE) or linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) film grades, currently command more than half of the polymer recyclate market. They form the major polymeric part of post consumer waste streams, along with significant amounts of polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and small amounts of other polymers such as polyamides, polycarbonates and barrier polymers. Despite undergoing sorting processes the PE recovered from post consumer waste inevitably contains significant amounts of these other polymers.