Use of glass particles from recovered LCD screen components as fillers for plyamide-6

Abstract

Glass from computers’ LCD monitor screens were recovered, ground and used as filler for Polyamide-6. The composites contained 10 wt% of glass particles. Two particle sizes were tested: glass particles smaller than 106 μm (ABNT#150 sieve) and smaller than 53 μm (ABNT#270 sieve). The filler was evaluated by loss on ignition and the composites by tensile strength and Izod impact strength. The morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The value of Young’s modulus of composites processed with glass particles smaller than 53 μm was higher than the one for PA-6. The properties of impact strength, tensile strength, and elongation of PA-6 were reduced with the addition of filler, and the composite containing glass particles smaller than 53 μm showed the lowest reduction in mechanical properties (about 6% in the tensile strength and about 48% in impact strength). The micrographs of fracture surfaces of tensile strength specimens showed weak adhesion particle/matrix and uniform distribution of the particles in the matrix, especially in the composite with finest particle sizes.