Date of Publication :30th October 2023

Abstract: In most pipe industries of Ethiopia, the scraps of the original pipes are simply collected and are being taken as wasted materials. Specially, in industries of HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), it is observed that the scraps are mostly used for the protection of farming areas inside the companies. But further technological activates were not applied in recycling and reusing of such wastes. HDPE by nature is a type of flexible and easily recyclable plastic material which can be mostly used for production of pipes. Also, in most glass industries and easily crushable bottle glass users of the country, wastes of any cracked& crashed glasses are seen being dumped around road sides and garbage areas. Therefore, in this study, it is aimed and practiced that the waste HDPE’s scrap are experimentally processed and then mixed with the waste powder glass and then a new composite material which is composed of waste HDPE matrix and glass powder reinforcement is produced. The experimental results obtained reflect recyclability of the wastes and capability of becoming best matrix as well as reinforcement material. For the experimental work, six(6) samples having 0 %, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% of the reinforcement and 90% of the matrix(84.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil), 92% of matrix (86.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil), 94% of matrix (88.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil), 96% of matrix (90.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil), 98% of matrix (92.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil) and 100% of matrix (94.56% waste HDPE + 5.44% Additives/Dutrex oil) were used. In order to obtain the required composite product, the composite raw was heated and pressed to form the required samples. As per the composite standards, mechanical properties of the samples such as hardness, tensile strength, tear strength, modulus, elongation and surface abrasion resistance were measured. And the main composite physical properties such as water absorption test, density, relative density, maximum pressure and heat resistance capability were measured. The compounding mechanism (consistency, compatibility, and sticky property of each sample material) is properly performed on each sample, Chemical reaction is properly performed on each sample, and Crosslinking between all chemicals, bonding agents, activators, facilitators, reinforcement materials of each sample is properly characterized. And also, theoretical density of samples was determined by using rule of mixture. After all experiments are conducted a composite sample having 27.645MPa of tensile strength, 22.061MPa of tear strength, increasing in hardness (54.37 to 58.93 shore A), average actual density of density of 1.1195 g/cm3, average theoretical density of 1.001 g/cm3 and with increasing abrasion resistance capability were selected.

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