Project title: The Mechanical Properties and Analysis of Recycled Polymer/Aluminium Packaging
Supervisors: Professor Maria Charalambides, Professor Ambrose Taylor
TetraPak is a commonly used packaging primarily for drink beverages. They are capable of extending shelf life of food and drinks by using layers of paperboard, aluminium and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). With many TetraPaks being used and then discarded daily, it would be advantageous to recycle TetraPaks and use elsewhere for a more sustainable future. To recycle TetraPak, the company EcoAllene have produced a method where the paperboard is separated from the TetraPak and the aluminium and LDPE layers are blended into pellets (PolyAl) to then be further processed for other uses.
The aim of this project is to investigate the mechanical properties via means of tensile testing and single edge notch bend tests on injection moulded PolyAl samples. SEM imaging of the processed PolyAl samples will also help to give information about the interface between the aluminium and LDPE to provide suggestions about its mechanical properties. Analysing its material properties will then also help ensure that suitable applications for PolyAl can be identified.