Researchers crack the code for recycling lightweight sandwich panels
Scientists have developed an optimized method to fully recycle thermoplastic sandwich panels—the lightweight materials used in cars, planes, and construction—and remanufacture them into new products. The breakthrough could unlock a significant circular economy opportunity for industries generating tons of composite waste annually.
Originaltitel: Sustainable recycling of thermoplastic sandwich panel structures: A response surface methodology approach
<p>Thermoplastic sandwich panel structures have extensively been used in automobiles, aerospace, construction, civil and marine engineering for decades, attributable to their high strength-to-weight ratio and lightweight yet durable framework. This, however, causes significant volume of waste generation adversely affecting the environment. Present research is an attempt to mitigate this issue and enable sustainable practices, by recycling the entire thermoplastic sandwich structures and remanufacture them, thus minimizing waste production and optimizing materials value. Principal challenge, however, lies in heterogeneity of the materials used in sandwich panels production. To tackle this, first, the properties of constituent materials were investigated followed by subsequent re-manufacturing of new panels by compression moulding. Process optimization was performed employing Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with the Box-Behnken Design (BBD) approach. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted to assess the accuracy of mathematical models derived from experimental data. To alleviate thermal degradation during the recycling process, recycled materials were blended with neat polycarbonate (PC) at controlled weight ratios. Afterwards, the properties of newly developed recycled panels were evaluated through thermal analysis, rheology, and mechanical tests. Results revealed that no detectable mass-loss degradation below 300 °C (TGA), while rheology analysis indicates minor early-stage molecular reduction at elevated processing temperatures (285 °C). Among all the compositions, the recycled panel with 10% PC content exhibited the highest mechanical performance, a storage modulus of 8.3 GPa. The findings indicate that the manufactured recycled panels not only retained but also enhanced their thermal and mechanical properties, making them suitable for various applications. This research highlights promising advancements in improving the recyclability and circular use of thermoplastic sandwich structures.</p>