About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Natural Fibers and Biocomposites
|
| Presentation Title |
Effect of Five Reprocessing Cycles on the Tensile Behavior of Polypropylene Recovered from Decommissioned Offshore Flexible Pipes |
| Author(s) |
Rogério Rabello da Rocha Júnior, Artur Camposo Pereira, Noam Tonini Simonassi , Victor Paes Dias Goncalves, Darcy Lucas da Rocha Oliveira, Felipe Perissé Duarte Lopes |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Victor Paes Dias Goncalves |
| Abstract Scope |
The reprocessing of thermoplastic polymers is essential for sustainability in the plastics industry, allowing waste reintroduction into the production cycle. However, each reprocessing cycle exposes the material to mechanical shear, high temperature, and, in some cases, oxidative degradation, promoting chain scission of the polymer macromolecules. This leads to a progressive reduction in average molar mass, altering chain structure and mobility. As a direct consequence, mechanical properties decline systematically, particularly evident in tensile tests. With each successive cycle, tensile strength and elongation at break tend to decrease, reflecting reduced chain entanglement and lower energy dissipation capacity under stress. This behavior is mainly attributed to chain scission, though branching or crosslinking may also occur depending on the polymer and processing conditions. This work discusses the degradation mechanisms involved, correlating molar mass reduction with tensile test results across multiple reprocessing cycles, contributing to a better understanding of thermoplastic mechanical recyclability limits. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Additive Manufacturing, Sustainability, Polymers |