Characterization of mechanical properties of recycled polypropylene for reuse in two-wheeled vehicles

The increase in global polymer production has raised concerns about the environmental impacts caused by the inappropriate disposal of these materials. One widely used alternative to mitigate this problem is to reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials through recycling processes. In this study, mixtures of virgin and recycled polypropylene, derived from waste from the manufacturing of parts for two-wheeled vehicles, in proportions of 5, 10 and 15%, were analyzed to evaluate the impact on the mechanical properties of tensile strength, hardness and impact. Compared to virgin PP, there was a reduction in mechanical properties, but only the mixture with 15% recycled material did not meet the minimum quality requirements specified. The result of the study indicate the feasibility of using percentages of 5 and 10% recycled PP in the components manufacturing process for two-wheeled vehicles, contributing to the reduction of production costs and environmental impacts.