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Thermoformed products from high-density polyethylene and Softwood kraft pulp
Summary
Researchers developed thermoformed food trays by blending recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste with softwood kraft pulp, finding that higher HDPE content dramatically reduced air permeability, improved water and grease resistance, and increased wet strength by 81%, though it also reduced repulpability and stiffness, demonstrating a viable circular economy approach to packaging.
Plastic recycling, waste minimization such as process outfall valorization promotes a circular economy. Herein, food trays have been produced in the moulded pulp thermoforming process. To this end, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) outfall has been dispersed in water via Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) addition in a Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (NBSKP) slurry. Samples physical and mechanical properties have been evaluated. With an increasing HDPE content, parts air permeability was drastically reduced to a minimum of 2.4 ± 0.8 mL min-1. In addition, water and grease hold out properties have been increased with minimum water Cobb1800 value of 10.9 ± 5.4 gm-2 and oil Cobb1800 value of 13.18 ± 6.5 gm-2. Samples with high HDPE content demonstrated hydrophobic surface with water contact angle value above 90°. HDPE melting and binding to wood pulp fibers was monitored by SEM images. Regarding the mechanical properties, HDPE induced plastic deformation with a reduced Young modulus by 17 %. Moreover, the addition of HDPE increased wet strength by 81 %. However, the produced food tray composites with high HDPE content demonstrated low repulpability index.