STTR Phase I: Self-Reinforced Composites Made of Immiscible Polymers from Recycled Products

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project explores the technical feasibility and commercial potential of an innovative process for converting immiscible polymer wastes into self-reinforced high-performance composites. The process entails creating fibers with sheath/core morphology to self-reinforce the resulting composites and eliminate separation steps. The new recycling protocol will be initially implemented in PP/nylon blends and tested in carpet recycling. The Phase I project addresses the following critical questions: a) Can the new method be used effectively in enhancing the mechanical properties of immiscible polymer blends? and b) What are the major factors that should be considered in scaling up the process prototype? The successful completion of this project will yield a novel enabling processing route for making self-reinforced polymer composites from recycled PP/nylon cost effectively. For the carpet recycling market alone, it holds the promise of reducing more than 4 billion pounds/yr of existing landfilled carpet waste and converting them into value-added products. This will both reduce the carpet waste stream going to the landfill and reduce the demand for the petroleum-based raw materials used in plastics manufacturing. The elimination of complicated sorting and separation steps further implies less energy consumption in manufacturing. The lightness of the resultant products can further enhance fuel efficiency in transportation.