A process for recycling thermosetting foams and the incorporation of recycled foams into structural composite panels
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In Europe, the rapidly growing thermosetting foam insulation products industry
comprises over 11,500 companies employing over a third of a million people and is
worth about 6 billion Euros in trade. It is currently estimated 4-7 % of total new UK
production is scrapped and goes to landfill. Estimated costs of disposing of this waste
foam are of the order of £20 million/annum to the producers of foam panels and
insulation blocks. A new strategic direction for rigid polymeric foams waste
management has been developed converting the scrapped thermosetting foams into
high added value material that can be used in various applications such as fire
resistant insulating applications. Thus by this new innovative recycling process the
waste is not only eliminated but benefits can be gained from the new material that
comes out of it as a structural composite panel.
The project involves a new concept that mixes fragmented scrap thermosetting
foams materials with a proprietary liquid that cures at ambient temperature to form
an incombustible material capable of withstanding high temperatures >1000 C.
In this research different kind of polymeric foams used for manufacturing of
reconstituted recycled samples. Sodium silicate solution has been chosen as the
binder to binds shredded foams together. Due to fastening of sodium silicate curing
different kind of acidic powders have been tested. For increasing of post properties
after curing variety of fillers as an additive have been tried through out this research.
Different foam cutting methods have been tested to find the suitable shredding
routine. Rationale for selection of generic binder and its hardeners/fillers has been
discussed in this project. Also as post properties evaluation compressive strength,
thermal resistance, fire resistance and acoustic properties of recycled structural
composite panels have been measured. At last a model for thermal conductivity of
composite panels is developed.
Authors
Jamshidi, MohammadsadeghCollections
- Theses [3711]