Compounding of Polyethylene using stone cutting waste (limestone powder)
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Date
2013
Authors
Al-Shiekh, Hiba
Yousof, Tahreer
Abu-Saa, Wala'
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Abstract
The aim of the current project is to study the possibility of compounding polyethylene using stone cutting solid waste (lime stone powder). Solid stone cutting waste consist mainly of calcium carbonate and is usually disposed in open fields, roadside, sewage and agricultural land leading to several environmental and health problems to human and agriculture. Samples of slurries were collected and screened into different sizes. Then Polyethylene was compounded with the stone cutting waste using an extruder as hot mixing and the compounded product was formed as sheets.
The mechanical and thermal properties of the resulting sheets was examined and compared with the commercial products.
From the results, it was found that the melt flow index and tensile strength increases with decreasing slurry concentration and particle size. Also the degree of crystallinity increases with decreasing slurry concentration. However, modulus elastic increases with increasing slurry concentration and decreasing particle size.