Production of composites with added waste polyester-glass with their initial mechanical properties

In this article the problem of plastic recycling, and in particular waste polyester-glass, has been described. In brief, the technology for the production of new composite materials by hand, made by the contact method, using the matrix filling in the form of polyester-glass waste coming from worn-out laminates used in the construction of ship hulls. The waste used was a powdered mixture of resin particles, glass fibers, and composite particle agglomerates. A method for producing composite panels with a recyclate content of between 10% and 30% was carried out. The samples were then manufactured according to the requirements of the standard, i.e. PN-EN ISO 527-4_2000P. Samples obtained from the test plates were subjected to a static stretch test, to verify the impact of the integrated wastes on the mechanical properties of the composite. Photographs of the structure of the obtained material have also been presented. These photos showed significant differences in the composition of the resulting composites determined by the amount of waste material used. Analysis of the results indicated that increasing the amount of recyclate reduces the value of the material’s strength limit and also reduces the plasticity of the material. This article has provided an introduction to more comprehensive research on the recycling of plastics.