Reconstituted polymeric materials derived from post-consumer waste, industrial scrap and virgin resins made by solid state shear pulverization

Abstract

A method of making polymeric particulates wherein polymeric scrap material, virgin polymeric material and mixtures thereof are supplied to intermeshing extruder screws which are rotated to transport the polymeric material along their length and subject the polymeric material to solid state shear pulverization and in-situ polymer compatibilization, if two or more incompatible polymers are present. Uniform pulverized particulates are produced without addition of a compatibilizing agent. The pulverized particulates are directly melt processable (as powder feedstock) and surprisingly yield a substantially homogeneous light color product.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A method of making an article of manufacture, comprising: 
 a) supplying polymeric materials including two or more thermodynamically incompatible polymers to screw means of an extruder,    b) rotating the screw means to transport said polymeric material along the length thereof and solid state pulverize said polymeric material with in-situ polymer compatibilization to product particulates, and    c) melt processing said pulverized particulates to form an article of manufacture.    
     
     
         2 . A method for manufacture of melt processible polymeric particulates, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) selecting a mixture of at least two thermodynamically incompatible materials selected from a group consisting of polyolefins, thermoplastics, polymer blends, polymer alloys, thermosets, elastomers excluding rubbers, HDPE, PET, LDPE, PP, PS, PVC, LDPE, PC, ABS, ABS/PC, and PPO/PS;    (b) introducing said selected materials to a pulverization device of the type having an inlet for the materials and means for pulverizing the materials to effect chemical change to at least one of said materials by means of solid state shear pulverization bond rupture thereof while cooling the materials to maintain the materials in the solid state during the entire pulverization process; and    (c) collecting the pulverized mixture discharged from the device for subsequent melt processing.    
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the mixture is subsequently melt processed.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the pulverization is effected by co-rotating screws of an extruder.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the materials comprise virgin materials.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the materials are further selected from a group consisting of virgin materials, scrap materials and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the materials are further selected from a group consisting of HDPE and PP; LDPE and HDPE; HDPE, LDPE and PP; HDPE and PET; HDPE, LDPE and PET; PP/PS; HDPE, LDPE, PP and PET; HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET and PS; HDPE, LDPE, PP and PVC; HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET and PVC; and HDPE, LDPE, PP, PET, PS and PVC.