Effects of thermomechanical treatments on HDPE used for TLC ducts

A study on the thermomechanical treatment of high-density polyethylene used for telecommunication (TLC) duct production was performed, aiming to assess the possibility of recycling the material. A typical HDPE was subjected to a series of injection molding cycles at 240 °C, without adding any antioxidant. After each molding, the samples obtained were characterized by thermal analyses (DSC, TG), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), rheological and mechanical techniques. The change of the thermal and mechanical properties of the HDPE is discussed and correlated to the modification of the chemical structure of the material.