Measurement and modeling of flow and mechanical properties of ASR-filled polymer composites

Screw extrusion process was used to evaluate the flow properties of ASR/LDPE composite whose rheological properties cannot be obtained from the conventional capillary rheometer measurements. The results show that the viscosity of the mixture increases with increasing automobile shredder residue (ASR) content. Although there exists significant scatter in the results because of the non-homogeneity of the mixtures, the result can be used to roughly predict the flow properties of the materials. Thus, based on linear regression fits of the flow data, a second order polynomial relationship was established between the viscosity of ASR/LDPE composite and ASR concentration. HDPE was used in the mechanical tests. The results also show that the tensile modulus can be predicted, accurately, using a conventional composite model.