STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF RECYCLING CYCLES ON PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL, AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE

• Main Author: Bimantoro, Prasetyo
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/50594
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Most plastics are generally used as packaging materials. Plastics used as disposable packaging materials have a bad impact on the environment. Recycling efforts are made to solve plastic waste problem. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is often used as a single-use packaging. In the recycling process, plastic materials such as PET experience a decrease in their physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. This study aims to investigate the effect of the amount of recycling on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PET. This research was conducted with a literature study. The analysis process was carried out using literature data that performed DSC and FTIR analysis, MFI and viscosity measurements, and tensile testing. The test data was obtained through six different studies. The data generated by different methods is then carried out in-depth analysis in order to describe the phenomenon of changing properties in recycled PET. Repeated recycling can lead to a decrease in molecular weight. The tensile strength of recycled PET decreases as the increasing number of recycling cycles, causing brittle fracture to occur in a certain sequence of recycling cycles. The recycling process on PET also causes a decrease in viscosity and an increase in MFI value due to the shorter polymer chains. An increase in crystallinity can be seen in recycled PET. The elastic modulus of recycled PET has also increased.