Multiple Reprocessing of Gear Using Recycled Polypropylene
The reprocessing ability of recycled polypropylene (PP) has been investigated to evaluate the recycling feasibility in spur gear production. Up to 15 reprocessing cycles have been performed by injection moulding, and the effects on tensile properties including ultimate tensile strength, Young’s modulus and elongation at break have been studied. Results revealed that reprocessing ability of recycled PP spur gears could yield satisfactory quality as attractive as that corresponding to the virgin PP spur gear. The recycled PP gears resulted in more 10% variation in tensile properties during multiple processing. This effort might be a contribution to convince the industry to apply recycling of PP by means of multiple reprocessing in gear manufacturing.