Potential of calcium carbonate as secondary filler in eggshell powder filled recycled polystyrene composites

Abstract

Recycling of plastic waste is considered a key intention in regards to the continuous growth of plastic industry. In this work, new composite based on recycled polystyrene (R-PS) was prepared in the presence of eggshell powder (ESP). This was to make a value-added plastic material based on polystyrene. To further extend its performance, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) was used as secondary filler to optimize its performance. It is observed that the stabilization torque of composites decreased with increasing the weight percent of CaCO₃. Increasing the amount of CaCO₃ has increased the mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break and impact strength of the composites. These findings corresponded well to SEM images. It revealed homogenous dispersions of CaCO₃ throughout R-PS matrix in comparison to ESP alone which formed agglomerations in R-PS matrix. Further evidence on thermal stability has confirmed that CaCO₃ provided better heat resistance over the ESP.

Keywords:
polystyrene; calcium carbonate; eggshell powder; composites