Processability and physico-mechanical properties of eco-friendly polypropyene composites. In Abstracts from XIV AIMAT National Congress, XI National Conference on Materials Science and Technology, July 2017, Ischia, Italy

Polypropylene (PP), largely used in many applicative fields (e.g. automotive, electrical/electronics, packaging, construction) thanks to its good balance of performance properties, processability and cost-effectiveness compared to other resins, requires additivation to improve some of its limitation (i.e. sensitivity to UV light degradation, limited upper working temperature and high thermal expansion coefficient, easily flammability). In this work we developed new eco-friendly PP composites, by melt compounding the resin with a new low-cost sustainable filler, produced from municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) residues by COSMOS technology. The systems were tested to verify the effects of the filler addition on PP processability and on its thermal and mechanical properties. Moreover, in order to investigate the possibility to use the filler as adjuvant or as a replacement for conventional flame-retardants, ternary PP composite systems, containing also a commercial non-halogenated flame-retardant in the formulation, were produced and characterized.