THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES FROM THE RESIDUES FOOTWEAR

INDUSTRY

Luiz G. F. Boff a, Alessandro C. Chies a, Cristiano J. J. Oliveiraa,b, Ruth M. C. Santanaa*

a
Department of Material- Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre-RS/Brazil
b
Environmental Engineering– Universidade Luterana do Brazil of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre-
RS/Brazil

luiz.fracalossi@ufrgs.br, alessandrochies@hotmail.com, cristianoeco@gmail.com, ruth.santana@.ufrgs.br*

Abstract. Thermoplastic composites (polymer matrix reinforced or filled with fiber or filler) have received
considerable attention for their performance when compared to pure matrix. This product is an alternative
solution for the management of the footwear industry waste. The relative share of leather as a raw material in
the Brazilian footwear industry has decreased from 37.4% in the early 1970s to 21.4% in the 1990s. This fact
was due to the introduction of alternative materials in footwear production such as EVA, TR, SBR, PU, PP,
HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PS in heels, soles, and non-woven insoles with the goal to reduce costs, especially in
the domestic market-oriented production. However, this brought about changes in the characteristics of the
waste generated by the factories, which in turn called for improved technology for the management, sorting
and appropriate disposal of waste. Therefore, the incorporation of this waste in thermoplastic matrix
minimizes the environmental problems caused by the presence of this residual material derived from
industrial activities.The aim of this work is to develop new products (thermoplastic composite) from shoe
industry residues and to evaluate their physical and mechanical properties in order to guide their application.
In this study was used HDPE and PP waste as matrix and PU waste as filler. These residues were ground.
The composites matrix/filler in weight ratio of 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20 were processed in a simple screw
extruder and then theses samples in the form of pellets were molded in the plate form by thermal
compression. The composites were characterized in terms of their physical (density) and mechanical
properties (tensile). Preliminary results showed that the PP/PU composities presented a better performance in
mechanical properties than PEAD.

Introduction
Thermoplastic composites (polymer matrix
reinforced or filled with fiber or filler) have
received considerable attention for their
performance when compared to pure matrix. This
product is an alternative solution for the
management of the footwear industry waste. The
relative share of leather as a raw material in the
Brazilian footwear industry has decreased from
37.4% in the early 1970s to 21.4% in the 1990s
(Costa, et al., 1993) .
This fact was due to the introduction of alternative
materials in footwear production such as EVA,
TR, SBR, PU, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PS in
heels, soles, and non-woven insoles with the goal
to reduce costs, especially in the domestic market
production. Therefore, the incorporation of waste
materials in the thermoplastic matrix minimizes
the environmental problems caused by the
presence of this residual material derived from
industrial activities.
In this study was used PE and PP waste as matrix
and PU waste as filler. These wastes were ground.
The composite filler/matrix weight ratio of 90/10,
85/15 and 80/20 were processed in a simple screw
extruder and then theses samples in the form of
pellets were molded in the plate form by thermal
compression. The composites were characterized
in terms of their physical (density and water

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PPS-27, 2011, 27th World Congress of the Polymer Processing Society, May 10-14, Marrakech, Morocco
absorption) and mechanical properties (tensile, Processing
hardness and impact resistance). The industry of
The residues were grinded in a knife mill Retsch
this work is to develop new products
SM 200, to adquire better size, and then selected
(thermoplastic compound) from waste shoe
the size of 500~710mm by sifting in a sieve.
industry and assess their physical and mechanical
properties, to guide its implementation. The residues were mixed in the following weight
rate of matrix/filler: 90/10, 85/15 and 80/20.
Using the same load, PU, and different matrix, PE
Experimental and PP. In total were made six samples, three of
Materials each matrix. Each composition were processed in
a single screw extruder (L/D: 22) mark Ciola, the
In these work were used polypropylene (PP) and
processing condition are shown in Table 1.
polyethylene (PE) residues that will used as Subsequently, the material extruded in the form of
matrix and polyurethane (PU) residue that will pellets were molded by thermal compression (TC)
used as filler, both from the same footwear
at 200 and 220°C, 3 ton of pressure and total
industry, Paquetá. In Figure 1 are shown os residence time of 5 minutes.
footwear residues used.
Table 1: Processing conditions of termoplastic
composites.
Thermal
Sample Weight Extrusion
compression
rate
Tp V T ttotal
(oC) (rpm) (oC) (min.)
PE/PU 90/10
180,
PE/PU 85/15 200, 50 200 5
210
PE/PU 80/20
PP/PU 90/10
180,
PP/PU 85/15 200, 50 220 5
210
(a) PP/PU 80/20

Characterization
The composites were characterized by their
physical and mechanical properties. The density
of the composites were determined using the
pycnometer, based on the ASTM D 2734-94.
These physical properties were evaluated in
triplicate. The mechanical property evaluated was
tensile and it was realized in a EMIC DL 500
based on the ASTM D638.

(b) Results and discussion

Fig. 1 Footwear residues (a) Polypropilene and (b) Physical properties
Polyurethane.
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PPS-27, 2011, 27th World Congress of the Polymer Processing Society, May 10-14, Marrakech, Morocco
 In Figure 2 is shown by the results of the density observed that the composites of PP/PU in Figure 4
of the raw materials used as components of plastic showed a decrease in tensile strength with
composites. It can be observed that the PU had a increasing the content of the particulate load of
higher density than the other samples. And PU, which indicates that the presence of
between the thermoplastic matrix PP had the particulated filler can have influenced in the
lowest density, the expected results. decrease os this property due to filler
characteristic or by probability of presence of
1,4 voids generated due to poor interaction between
matrix/filler. In general, the maximal tensile of the
1,2
PEAD/PU composites were lower than PP/PU.
Density (g/cm3).......

1,236
1,0
0,951
0,8 0,890 16
PP/PU
0,6 14

Maximal tensile (Pa) ......

PEAD/PU
12
0,4
10
0,2 13,03 11,19
8 10,34
0,0 11,818
PP PEAD PU 6
6,047
Raw material 4
5,460
2
Fig. 2 Densities of componentes of composite 0
PP/PU and PEAD/PU. 10 15 20
PU filler (%wt)

In Figure 3 presents the results of the density of Fig. 4 Maximal tensile of PP/PU and PEAD/PU
plastic composites, where it is observed that composites.
increasing the PU content increased load on the
density of the composite.
In Figure 5 are shown the results of elongation at
break of composites. PP/PU composites had
1,0

0,9
PP/PU
PEAD/PU
different behaviour with PEAD/PU composites.
0,8 0,893 0,878
0,897 0,913 0,917 PP/PU composite had an light increase when is
0,836
higher is the filler content, probabiliy due to poor
Density (g/cm3)....

0,7

0,6 interaction with PU.

0,5
10
0,4
PP/PU
Elongation at break (%)......

9
0,3
8 PEAD/PU
0,2
7
0,1
6
0,0
5
10 15 20
PU filler (%wt) 4
3
Fig. 3 Densities of composites of PP/PU and 2
PEAD/PU. 1
4,52 8,12 6,01 5,49 6,05 4,73
0
10 15 20
Mechanical properties PU filler (%wt)

In Figures 4 and 5 are shown the results of

Fig. 5 Elongation at rupture in the tensile teste of
tensile test of composites with different contents
PP/PU and PEAD/PU composites.
of PU. In relation to the maximum stress show
that the composites of different compositions, it is

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PPS-27, 2011, 27th World Congress of the Polymer Processing Society, May 10-14, Marrakech, Morocco
 In the case of PEAD composites, these had a calçadistas do município de Três Coroas-RS,
decrease, being more pronounced when iw was XXVII Congresso Interamericano de Engenharia
increased of 10 to 15 %wt of filler. Sanitária e Ambiental, 2000.
PLASTIVIDA – Comissão Setorial de
Conclusion Reciclagem de Plásticos Manufaturados..
The influence of PU filler in the thermoplastic GREVEN, G. & GREVEN, H. A.
matrix was verified by their physical and Aproveitamento de Resíduos de E.V.A da
mechanical properties. PEAD/PU presented Indústria Calçadista na Construção Civil, 1997.
higher densities than PP/PU composites, results Anais: ANTUNES, Helena M. C. Carmo. XXVIII
waited because the PEAD matrix had density Jornadas Sul-Americanas de Engenharia
higher than PP. In general, PP/PU composities Estrutural. São Carlos, São Paulo, v. 5, 1 a 5 de
presented a better performance in mechanical setembro de 1997, p.1871-1879.
properties than PEAD. BIDDLE, David. Recycling for Profit: The New
Green Business Frontier. Harvard Business
Review. Nov- dec, 1993.
Acknowledgments
The authors thanks to Paqueta.S.A. by financial
support and Lapol (Polymer Material Laboratory)
at UFRGS gave us the equipment needed to
perform the analysis used in this study.

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PPS-27, 2011, 27th World Congress of the Polymer Processing Society, May 10-14, Marrakech, Morocco