Mechanical Behavior of Recycled Polypropylene Composites Under Tensile, Bending, and Creep Loading: Experimental and Modeling

Abstract

By the 2000/53/CE directive, the European Union leads to develop the recycling process industry, specially the plastic one, for end of life vehicles (ELV). To value these recycled materials by an isofunction use, as for example for car semistructure elements, it is necessary for the mechanical properties to be better known. In this study, the effects of the recycling process on the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP)/elastomeric, talc particles filled or not, are presented, through different loading tests: tensile (small and finite strain), bending and creep tests. The failure, plasticity, and elasticity parameters modifications are established. Tensile and bending tests lead to some similar characteristics evolution as, for example elastic modulus values. The creep behavior evolution is more complex to understand. Both materials have a near finite strain macroscopic behavior so that, taking account of each component (talc, EPDM or EPR elastomeric part) the intrinsic behavior can be well described in the mechanical model finally presented.