Background
Multilayer food packaging films composed of aromatic polyamide (ARAD) and polyethylene (PE) are widely used due to their high-performance oxygen barrier properties. Despite their effectiveness in preserving food quality, these films are conventionally classified as non-circular waste. The recycling of such materials is hindered by the poor thermodynamic compatibility between polyolefin and polyamide phases, which results in weak interfacial adhesion, phase separation, structural defects, and significant loss of mechanical integrity during reprocessing.
Problem Statement
While compatibilization strategies have been documented for simpler polymer systems, the specific ARAD/PE interface remains largely unexplored. This knowledge gap severely limits the valorization and mechanical recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer ARAD/PE film waste streams into high-value products. Without effective solutions, these materials continue to contribute to non-recyclable plastic waste, undermining circular economy goals.
The Challenge
The aim of this challenge is to overcome the interfacial limitations between aromatic polyamide (ARAD) and polyethylene (PE). To address this, thermoplastic composites of binary ARAD/PE blends are manufactured via high-shear melt extrusion, with two distinct chemical compatibilizer types evaluated and compared: a reactive functionalized polymer, whose functional groups react directly with polymer chains to anchor at the phase interface, and a polar di-block copolymer, which provides physical compatibilization through polarity-driven interactions. Comprehensive characterization protocols must then be carried out on the resulting blends and manufactured plastic films, including morphological analysis using SEM to evaluate domain dispersion, droplet refinement, and phase boundary structure; thermo-physical analysis using DSC to assess crystallization dynamics and thermal stability; and thermo-mechanical analysis using shear rheology to determine dynamic interfacial strength, melt elasticity, and complex viscosity.
