Development of polyurethane/polyethylene terephthalate/fiber glass polymeric composite from internal auto parts waste

The use of polymers in the automotive industry has been growing significantly, the recycling of these materials is a major challenge nowadays, since most polymer parts comprises of different types of polymers, and they are joined by chemical adhesives due to their lack of good compatibility. This characteristic hampers the recycling of such polymers, and makes separation economically unfeasible, as a consequence, their final destination has ended up in landfills. In this sense, the present research developed a technique to verify the recyclability of the manufacturing waste polymer auto parts from industry processes, through the polymer layup process to obtain a composite (fiberglass, polyester fiber, polyurethane) in the form of flat panel. To achieve the objectives, the polymers were individually analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry to assist in the definition of the overlap of joined polymers, in which differentiates from the conventional method of polymer blend by extrusion. The preformed polymer was consolidated by a hot press. The polymer composites were evaluated by three-point bending test and their structure was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results in flexural properties indicate a suitable consolidation strategy when compared with results in literature, which is explained by the presence of glass fiber and PET in the final composition. Through the SEM images, it enabled to observe a good interface between the glass fiber and the polyester-based polymer matrix of the wastes, directly influencing the mechanical results of the material.