Report on a research feasibility study for CRAFT Contract BRST.CT96-0193.

S F Bush

Summary

The overall objective of the research feasibility study was to provide a secure basis of development for each of the constituent parts of the intended research project, i.e.

• Make long glass fibre compounds from recyclate polymer, and virgin/recyclate polymer blends.
• Use these compounds as masterbatches with recyclate or virgin recyclate polymer blends to extrude novel thermoformable sheet having controlled fibre orientation.
• Test the processability of the new compounds on the factory scale.
• Thermoform the made sheet on a representative sample of mould shapes in the laboratory and factory.

The study has successfully carried out each of these parts. In particular:

• Using reclaimed polymers, the compound-making process has been modified and shown to be reproducible and operable for long periods without manual intervention, thus providing the next stage of research with a feasible path through to a commercial process.
• The fibre management devices have been modified at the laboratory (200 mm) scale to measurably improve control over fibre orientation in ways which show how they may be scaled up to the full scale sheet (2000 mm).
• The long-fibre compound has been satisfactorily processed on a factory scale sheet extruder as intended without the fibre management devices.
• The new sheet has been satisfactorily thermoformed on both factory-scale and laboratory-scale machines, albeit with no attempt to obtimise conditions.