Mechanical properties and lifetime prediction of recycled High-Density Polyethylene

To extend the use of recycled polymer materials and keep the materials within the value chain of its origin, a better understanding of how they will perform compared to virgin materials is needed. Four different High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) from commercial sources and Post-consumer Recycled from fish farming have been evaluated by tensile and impact tests of both aged and unaged recycled HDPE samples. Mechanical properties of materials have been evaluated by testing according to ISO 527-2, and ISO 179-1, as compared to an injection molded virgin PE80 material. To take into account ageing and weathering of polymers in practical use, samples have been exposed to artificial laboratory light sources according to ISO 4892-3. Two different exposure times, at 750h and 1500h, have been used to evaluate material samples. The aged samples were then compared to unexposed reference samples.