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Ground rubber powder (GRP) is a waste material obtained from discarded tires and has been explored as a reinforcement material in polyethylene (PE) composites to improve their mechanical properties. The present study investigates the influence of GRP content and particle size on the properties of PE/GRP composites. The samples were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) for identifying organic compounds, and several mechanical tests to evaluate the properties. Statistical analysis was conducted through a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess the impact of different GRP concentrations on the impact strength within each particle size range. Based on the SEM analysis, the surface of PE exhibits a smooth and homogeneous texture, while the SEM image of the PE/GRP blend reveals a strong interfacial bonding and compatible morphology between the two components. The spectrum of the GRP revealed characteristic vibrations associated with polyisoprene, a major component of tire rubber. In the case of polyethylene PE, bands related to the characteristic vibrations of C-H groups were observed, along with indications of polyethylene degradation through oxidation. These findings contribute to the understanding of the chemical composition and properties of the individual components in the PE/GRP blend. In terms of mechanical properties, the elongation at break (EB) results showed that higher GRP concentrations, particularly at 10%, led to improved elongation values, indicating the reinforcing effect of GRP particles on the PE matrix. The impact strength analysis revealed that the inclusion of GRP particles significantly enhanced the impact strength of the blend. The optimal GRP concentration for maximizing impact strength was found to be 10%. Moreover, statistical analysis through a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the impact strength variations were significantly influenced by the concentration levels of GRP. These findings demonstrate the potential of GRP as a filler material to enhance the flexibility, ductility, and impact resistance of PE blends, expanding their applicability in various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bricks are the most widely used building material in human history. Compressive and flexural strengths, as well as water absorption, were studied to better understand the behaviour of recycled plastic in brick. This research has also extensively tested the impact resistance of concrete with plastic aggregate. The PET bottles utilised in this investigation are an example of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste plastic. Because of the challenges associated with recycling PET bottles, none are currently used to manufacture any recycled material locally in Malaysia. This is why we have chosen to develop an innovative way to transform it into a profitable product and tackle the problem of dumping tonnes of plastic garbage. In this experiment, both bituminized and unbituminized samples of PET/sand bricks were created. The samples were also subjected to a flexural test, a water absorption test, and a compressive strength test for further characterization. The results suggest that the 2% bitumen PET/sand bricks have the greatest compressive and flexural strength. All of the PET/sand brick samples evaluated had water absorption rates of less than 20%, indicating that they are of high value and suitable for usage in a variety of 'green' building applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for latex products such as mattresses, latex thread, and rubber gloves has increased significantly over the years, and the latex industry has expanded consistently to make it profitable. The production and consumption of gloves are directly impacted by this rise in demand, which leads to an increase in the amount of used rubber gloves in landfills. The recycling of waste gloves can reveal a challenging environmental and economic issues, and these rejections pose a significant disposal problem worldwide, mainly in developing countries. In this work, waste latex glove powder (WLP) was mixed with polypropylene (PP) to produce a plastic composite using injection moulding machine. The mechanical properties of the samples were characterized with tensile, flexural, hardness and Izod impact test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of fossil fuels is responsible for approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen has been discovered to be a clean and environmentally friendly source, and it is gaining attention as replacement for fossil fuels. Biohydrogen production via dark fermentation is one of the interesting approaches employing biomass as a feedstock. In this study, wastewater from the food industry was used as a substrate assisted by treated sludge to enhance the production of biohydrogen energy. The laboratory-scale experiment proved effective in producing biohydrogen from wastewater. However, the process's viability is still being questioned. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the economic performance of this process based on the plant capacity of this process. The conceptual process model was simulated using SuperPro Designer V9.0 to estimate the capital cost and utility requirement for the overall process. Economies of scale methods were used to evaluate the feasibility of this process. From the results, an ROI value of 10% as expressed by the optimum plant capacity of 3.5x104 L/batch is considered viable for economic performance in biohydrogen production from food industry wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]