Development of Equipment for Injection Molding of Polymer Products Filled with Recycled Polymer Waste

Polymer waste of light industry and other industries is processed by chemical recycling and mechanical grinding. Modern equipment for polymer waste processing has the following drawbacks: significant energy consumption and reduced performance properties of recycled polymer. New technological processes and equipment for polymer waste recycling have been developed for the manufacture of light industry polymer products with increased performance characteristics. The manufacturing of such products was made possible by the development of the mathematical model, which describes the movement of a mixture of main polymer material and particles of recycled polymer waste in the process of filling a mold cavity. The model, in contrast to the existing models, allows observing the formation of the polymer product structure containing recycled waste particles. Improvement in the performance characteristics of shoe soles made by the injection molding of a mixture of polyvinylchloride and particles of recycled polyvinylchloride was confirmed by experimental tests of breaking strength and fatigue life. The results of these tests can be used in the design of processing equipment to obtain waste particles of the required shape and size and in the design of molds to provide the required concentration and orientation of waste particles in light industry polymer products.