Recycling printed polypropylene labels and polyolefins caps as chemical foaming agent to produce foam products

Abstract

Recycling printed polypropylene (PP) labels and printed polyolefins (PO) caps as a chemical foaming agent to produce foam products is studied. An experimental Taguchi L₁₆ design with seven experimental variables involved is used: talc content and screw angular velocity, at four experimental levels; extrusion temperature profile and extruded formulations, at three levels; and, type of label washing process, the use of metal mesh and the type of label drying process, at two levels. As control variables, the morphology of the cells and the density of the foamed products are utilized. The labels/caps mixture was composed of 21% printed PP labels and 79% printed polyolefin caps. Part of the pigments from the ink labels and some polar groups of low-molecular-weight materials present in the molten polymer were partially decomposed at the PP processing temperatures, which contributes to the cell formation and growth of the extruded foams. The labels/caps mixture generated large ellipsoidal and elongated cells (740 µm) oriented in the extrusion direction because of the presence of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and EVA in the recycled PP caps and labels. The experimental factors that influenced the foam density were the screw angular velocity and temperature, and the cell morphology depended on the matrix crystallinity and melt strength.