Influence of the shape and size of plasticizer particles on the reduction of stiffness in thermoplastic polymers

Plastic can be recycling in three ways: chemical, thermal, and mechanical. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. The most prevalent is mechanical processing, resulting in recycled materials or composite materials. A key objective in producing composite materials through this method is to restore or enhance their properties using modifiers. The properties of these additives depend on the shape and size of their particles. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to determine the elemental chemical composition of a plasticizer based on highly dispersed calcium hydroxide. X-ray diffraction analysis performed on a DRON-7 diffractometer made it possible to identify the chemical compounds within the additive. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to determine the shape and size of the particles. The optimal result, specifically a four-fold reduction in stiffness, was achieved using spherical particles with a size range of 0.5–1 μm.