Reference number : GC-2017-Q2-00082, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Gauthier, Mario (University of Waterloo), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Ontario, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Engage Grants for Universities, program name french : Subventions d'engagement partenarial pour les universités, program purpose english : Post-consumer plastics recycling is strongly hampered by the fact that heterogeneous polymer feeds are_x000D_
intrinsically immiscible, which leads to phase separation within the mixture and typically very poor mechanical_x000D_
properties for the recycled products. A well-established method to improve the degree of dispersion in polymer_x000D_
blends and to improve the mechanical properties is through the use of block and graft copolymer additives as_x000D_
compatibilizers. Unfortunately these materials are generally very expensive to synthesize, and therefore not_x000D_
amenable to large scale plastics recycling. We now suggest a methodology to generate graft copolymer_x000D_
compatibilizers in situ, based on a new cryogenic process developed by KWI Solutions Polymères to turn_x000D_
mixed plastic feeds into fine (1-5 micrometer) powders by mechanical fracturing in an extrusion process. This_x000D_
generates a large number of radical species at the surface of the particles, due to the polymer chain-breaking_x000D_
processes taking place in fracturation of the materials. We will investigate the use of mixed microstructure_x000D_
polyisoprene (PIP) as a post-fracturation additive to react with the free radical species present, to generate_x000D_
compatibilizing graft copolymers in situ during the extrusion process. The project will be concerned with_x000D_
generating PIP samples of different molecular weights, that can be used to optimize the extrusion conditions_x000D_
and generate suitable compatibilizing agents. The performance of the additives will be evaluated in terms of_x000D_
their ability to improve the tensile and impact properties of the blends obtained by that approach., program purpose french : Post-consumer plastics recycling is strongly hampered by the fact that heterogeneous polymer feeds are_x000D_
intrinsically immiscible, which leads to phase separation within the mixture and typically very poor mechanical_x000D_
properties for the recycled products. A well-established method to improve the degree of dispersion in polymer_x000D_
blends and to improve the mechanical properties is through the use of block and graft copolymer additives as_x000D_
compatibilizers. Unfortunately these materials are generally very expensive to synthesize, and therefore not_x000D_
amenable to large scale plastics recycling. We now suggest a methodology to generate graft copolymer_x000D_
compatibilizers in situ, based on a new cryogenic process developed by KWI Solutions Polymères to turn_x000D_
mixed plastic feeds into fine (1-5 micrometer) powders by mechanical fracturing in an extrusion process. This_x000D_
generates a large number of radical species at the surface of the particles, due to the polymer chain-breaking_x000D_
processes taking place in fracturation of the materials. We will investigate the use of mixed microstructure_x000D_
polyisoprene (PIP) as a post-fracturation additive to react with the free radical species present, to generate_x000D_
compatibilizing graft copolymers in situ during the extrusion process. The project will be concerned with_x000D_
generating PIP samples of different molecular weights, that can be used to optimize the extrusion conditions_x000D_
and generate suitable compatibilizing agents. The performance of the additives will be evaluated in terms of_x000D_
their ability to improve the tensile and impact properties of the blends obtained by that approach., agreement title english : Simple in situ synthesis of copolymer compatibilizers for plastics recycling, agreement title french : Simple in situ synthesis of copolymer compatibilizers for plastics recycling, agreement number : EGP, agreement value : 25000.0, agreement start date : 2017-07-12, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada