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Towards sustainable plastics recycling: assessing the integrity status of polypropylene (PP) debris to recycle marine-degraded materials
Summary
Researchers assessed marine-degraded polypropylene (PP) debris from coastal environments using FTIR spectroscopy and tensile testing, classifying debris by integrity, then blending degraded PP with virgin PP to produce recyclable specimens that retain acceptable mechanical properties. The work shows that even environmentally weathered plastic — a significant source of microplastic fragments — can be recycled with quality outcomes, offering a route to reduce ongoing fragmentation.
Polypropylene (PP) is a widely used polymer with significant environmental implications when improperly disposed. Effective recycling strategies for PP are crucial for mitigating plastic pollution and achieving sustainability goals. This investigation focuses on classifying PP debris based on their integrity status using, microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and tensile testing. The debris are classified based on the above analyses in three different groups, based on the induced damage due to environmental exposure. In the present work, the classified PP debris samples are then blended with virgin PP to produce recycled specimens, aiming to enhance their properties and their overall quality. The recycled specimens undergo further evaluation through the same mechanical, chemical and morphological analysis. This assessment helps identify the integrity status group(s) with desirable properties and determines the optimal percentage of virgin PP incorporation. The research findings contribute to the development of sustainable and cost-effective recycled PP specimens, promoting circularity in PP plastics.