Mixtures of Recycled Milk Pouches with a Virgin LDPE-LLDPE Blend

Abstract

The present investigation deals with the viability of the use of recycled milk pouch material, which is a 50:50 mixture of LDPE and LLDPE, and the scope for improvement of its properties by combining it with virgin LDPE-LLDPE (50/50). Melt flow index (MFI), rheological properties, thermal and mechanical properties of the pure materials and their formulated blends containing recycled milk pouches were studied. The properties of the recycled materials were not as satisfactory as those of the corresponding virgin materials. But a significant improvement in viscosity, crystallinity, tensile strength and elongation at break of the recycled LDPE-LLDPE material was achieved by blending it with the corresponding virgin LDPE-LLDPE blend.