Morphological Analysis of Bottle Cap and Face Mask as Composite Materials

Anis Sakinah Zainal Abidin; Nor Azrin Ahmad Kurnin; Suhailah Samat

Anis Sakinah Zainal Abidin Politeknik Tun Syed Nasir Syed Ismail
Nor Azrin Politeknik Tun Syed Nasir Syed Ismail
Suhailah Politeknik Tun Syed Nasir Syed Ismail

Keywords: Face mask, Bottle cap, Composite, Recycling

Abstract

The COVID 19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented increase in the use of facemasks, resulting in a surge of plastic waste that poses a significant environmental challenge. Similarly, plastic bottle caps are a prevalent form of plastic waste that can cause severe environmental pollution. In response, there is a pressing need for sustainable and safe solutions for the disposal of these materials. Facemasks are typically made of non-woven polypropylene, which is resistant to moisture and chemicals, making it ideal for medical products. Bottle caps are made of polyprolylene resin, which is durable, lightweight, and resistant to moisture and chemicals. The use of recycled facemasks and bottle caps waste in composite materials is a promising way to utilized waste as it is both made from polypropylene. The incorporation of these waste materials into new composites provides a practical solution for managing plastic waste and addressing environmental concerns. This study aims to utilize facemasks and bottle caps waste, to produce a layered composite material with alternating sequencing. A 1:1 ratio of facemasks and bottle caps were melt blended using a hot press machine, and the feasibility of the produced material was investigated through the analysis of the morphological fractured surface using scanning electron microscope. The produced material was investigated for compatibility of both face mask and bottle cap matrix. The study found that the produced material showed promising compatibility between the components, indicating its potential for sustainable and cost-effective solutions across industries. This approach to reduce plastic waste by repurposing discarded materials for composite materials aligns with the need for sustainable and safe solutions for facemask and bottle cap disposal, promoting sustainable development.

References

Alvaro. R., Carlos G., & Javier, L. (2011). Micromechanisms of deformation and fracture of polypropylene nonwoven fabrics, International Journal of Solids and Structures, 48, 2011, 153–162
Aurrekoetxea, J., Sarrionandia, M. A., Urrutibeascoa, I., & Maspoch, M. L. (2003). Effects of injection moulding induced morphology on the fracture behaviour of virgin and recycled polypropylene. Polymer, 44(22), 6959-6964.
Battegazzore, D., Cravero, F., & Frache, A. (2020). Is it possible to mechanical recycle the materials of thedisposable filtering masks? Polymers, 12(11), 2726.
Gupta, A., Singh, R., & Thakur, V. K. (2018). Recycling of polypropylene: A review. Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 57(10), 1008-1031.
Hsissou, R., Seghiri, R., Benzekri, Z., Hilali, M., Rafik, M., & Elharfi, A. (2021). Polymer composite materials: A comprehensive review. Composite structures, 262, 113640.
Lebreton, L. C. M., van der Zwet, J., Damsteeg, J.-W., Slat, B., Andrady, A., & Reisser, J. (2019). River Plastic Emissions to the World’s Oceans. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1-10.
Lin, Y., Kouznetsova, T. B., Chang, C. C., & Craig, S. L. (2020). Enhanced polymer mechanical degradation through mechanochemically unveiled lactonization. Nature Communications, 11(1), 4987.
Parker, L. (2021). How to stop discarded face masks from polluting the planet. National Geographic. Published April 15, 2021
Prata, J. C., Silva, A. L. P., Walker, T. R., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic Repercussions on the Use and Management of Plastics. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(13).
Shen, L., & Worrell, E. (2014). Plastic recycling. In Handbook of recycling. Elsevier. (pp. 179-190)
Taghavi, S. K., Shahrajabian, H., & Hosseini, H. M. (2018). Detailed comparison of compatibilizers MAPE and SEBS-g-MA on the mechanical/thermal properties, and morphology in ternary blend of recycled PET/HDPE/MAPE and recycled PET/HDPE/SEBS-g-MA. Journal of Elastomers & Plastics, 50(1), 13-35
Torres, F. G., & De-la-Torre, G. E. (2021). Face mask waste generation and management during the COVID-19 pandemic: An overview and the Peruvian case. Science of the Total Environment, 786, 147628.
Yang, L., Zhang, S., Liu, C., & Yang, J. (2020). Study on the properties of recycled polypropylene/virgin polypropylene blend. Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering, 59(4), 416-425
Zhang, H., Ji, Y., Wu, X., & Tian, X. (2021). Sustainable utilization of medical plastic waste generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Science of The Total Environment, 768, 144475.
Zulkifli, N. I., Samat, N., Anuar, H., & Zainuddin, N. (2015). Mechanical properties and failure modes of recycled polypropylene/microcrystalline cellulose composites. Materials & Design, 69, 114-123.