Optimization of Composite Formulation Using Recycled Polyethylene for Rotational Molding

In this work, we optimized three key factors for rotational molding composites: the recycled polyethylene (rPE) content, the pigment (Cp) content, and the process parameter-peak internal air temperature (PIAT). We studied the influence of rPE, Cp, and PIAT on various composite properties. These included mechanical properties (e.g., elastic modulus E), impact strength (MFEsp), surface characteristics (wettability measured by contact angle θ and IR spectroscopy), thermal stability (by DTA-TG analysis), environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR in hours), and the amplitude of the third harmonic β of the ultrasonic back-wall signal. The IR spectroscopy and contact angle results indicate that adding rPE and pigment slightly increases the composite's surface hydrophilicity. The results show that PIAT strongly influences all the characteristics of the composites studied. Depending on its percentage, the introduction of rPE can either improve or worsen these composite properties. A correlation was found between β, ESCR, MFEsp, and E, demonstrating that β can serve as a quantitative indicator of internal stress (IS) in rotomolded parts. The recommended optimal composition is rPE 30%, Cp 0.5%, and PIAT 195 °C. Under these conditions, the composite exhibits minimal internal stress and optimal performance, which in turn extends the service life of rotomolded products. Four nomograms were developed: rPE = f(MFEsp, Cp, PIAT) and rPE = f(β, Cp, PIAT), which make it possible to quickly determine MFEsp and β of a product based on the actual PIAT, taking into account rPE and pigment content in the composite (they also allow selecting the rPE and pigment content in the composition depending on the required MFEsp).