Improvement of multilayer plastic delamination using surface modification

Abstract

Multilayer flexible packaging waste (MFPW) represents a critical issue in the field of waste management. The heterogeneous composition of this type of plastic makes its recyclability challenging. In this context, the delamination process appears to be a promising way to recycle the polymers layers separately. However, this process is still limited for a few MFPW. This work propose an innovative way to improve the delamination process using three surface modification techniques (mechanical and laser microperforation (µP), and abrasion) on the MFPW surface in order to accelerate the diffusion of the dissolving agent. The delamination was tested in a 10 % sodium hydroxide solution at 25ºC. Under this study, the mechanical µP and the abrasion gave the best results of delamination compared to the laser µP (total delamination in 25 min vs 45 min, respectively). It was concluded that the distance between the microholes was an important factor in both µP techniques.