Volume 17, Issue 6, 2008

LETTER: INNOVATIVE PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING LAMINATES WITH RECYCLED THERMOPLASTIC REINFORCED BY NATURAL FIBRES

M. Durante and I. Crivelli Visconti

Department of Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy

Received 22 July 2008; accepted 16 December 2008

ABSTRACT
For the processing of thermoplastics reinforced with natural fibres a new method based on the vacuum bag has been employed. Agave fibres reinforcing polyethylene (PE) laminates have been manufactured adopting low cost technology and recycled materials (matrix and fibres). In particular starting from recycled PE shoppers and low cost fibres, laminates have been manufactured by vacuum bag moulding at relatively low values of temperature. This technology consents to manufacture large panels adopting very simple moulds. In order to evaluate the manufacturing process, the properties of composite materials, carried out by static and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), have been compared with the single matrix (PE) properties.

Keywords: natural composite, recycled materials, vacuum bag process, DMA