Reinforcing effects of ground tyre rubber on physical,mechanical,and thermal properties of polyethylene terephthalate

Abstract

This study examines the use of waste and recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) along with micro-sized ground tire rubber (GTR) to produce a polymer matrix composite (PMC) material. The PMC materials are made in a Twin-screw extruder, with different ratios of rPET to GTR ranging from 90:10 to 50:50. In order to assess the performance of the newly created rPET-GTR matrix composite materials, the physical, mechanical properties are empirically observed. The thermal properties and crystallinity (X_c) of PMC materials are analysed using DSC. SEM and microscopic imaging are used to determine the characteristics of rPET-GTR composite materials, including elemental compositions like carbon, oxygen, and silicon. The functional group and chemical structure are confirmed through IR spectra analysis using FTIR techniques. The inclusion of micro-sized GTR has shown a significant effect on the physical (density = 1.306 - 1.208 g/cm³, water absorption = 1.76%–10.74%, and melt flow index = 8.12 - 12.79 gm/10 min), mechanical (tensile strength = 52.78 – 73.58 MPa, impact strength = 110.64 - 138.44 J/m, hardness = 56.14 - 76.37, and flexural modulus = 66.23 - 106.32 MPa), and thermal (melting temperature = 220.25°C–192.57°C, X_c = 20.30 to 30.58%) properties of rPET. These studies all work together to improve the performance of waste rPET and GTR materials by repurposing them. It helps to promote sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and expands the range of applications (automotive parts, building materials, sports equipment, electrical insulation and prosthetics) for rPET-based composites with potential uses in the polymer industries.