Preparation and characterization of high density polyethylene/silane treated pulverized-phenol resin composites

Phenolic resin has excellent heat resistance and good mechanical properties as a thermosetting resin. However, its thermosetting characteristics cause it to produce a non-recyclable waste in the form of sprue and runner which is discarded and represents up to 15∼20% of the overall products. Forty thousand tons of phenolic resin sprue and runner are disposed of (annually). The (annual) cost of such domestic waste disposal is calculated to be 20 billion won. In this study, discarded phenol resin scraps were pulverized and treated by silanes to improve their interfacial adhesion with HDPE. The sizes of the pulverized pulverulent bodies and fine particles were (100um∼1000um) and (1∼100um), respectively. The pulverized phenol resin was treated with 3-(methacryloyloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane and vinyltrimethoxy silane and the changes in its characteristics were evaluated. The thermal properties were evaluated by DSC and HDT. The mechanical properties were assessed by a notched Izod impact strength tester. When the silane treated phenol resin was added, the heat distortion temperature of HDPE increased from 77°C to 96°C and its crystallinity and crystallization temperature also increased. Finally, its impact strength and tensile strength increased by 20% and 50%, respectively, in comparison with the non-treated phenol resin.