Recycling of Polymer Waste into Plastic Lubricants

Abstract

A technology for the production of greases from polymeric household waste has been proposed, including the stage of boiling the polymer in a solvent, which is used as a used motor oil SAE10W-40. In the production of greases using this technology, a significant amount of used polymer products is utilized, while the share of waste from low-pressure polyethylene and polypropylene (PP) is, respectively, 20-50% of the mass and 50-75% of the mass. This approach makes it possible to significantly expand the raw material base of the specified technological process and, due to the involvement of relatively cheap raw materials, significantly reduce the cost of finished products. The results of the study of the adhesive properties of the obtained lubricants allow us to give the following recommendations: for lubricants based on low-pressure polyethylene with a polymer: oil ratio of 1: 1, the rational rotation speed was no more than 2850 rpm, with a ratio of 1: 3 - about 3950 rpm and with a ratio of 1: 5 - up to 5300 rpm; rational rotation speed for lubricants based on PP at a polymer: oil ratio of 1: 1 does not exceed 3600 rpm, at a ratio of 2: 1-4900 rpm and at a ratio of 3: 1 - 6000 rpm.