Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been widely used as a disposable packaging material in many industries thanks to properties like low density, lightweight, high impact, and vibration damping. Although usage of EPS increases annually, recycling facilities often refused to process postconsumed EPS due to the poor economic viability associated with high logistics and transportation cost in collection, storage, and shipment of the material. The objective of this research is to enhance the value chain of postconsumed EPS by investigating its potential as feedstock in the development of sustainable wood plastic composites (WPC), thereby providing an attractive business opportunity that also increases interest in EPS recycling and indirectly continue the lifespan of disposed EPS. Varying compositions of recycled polystyrene (rPS), coconut shell (CS), maleated polystyrene (MAPS) and Ultra‐Plast WP516 were compounded using a HAAKE internal mixer and compression molded to form WPC. The effects of material formulation on mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the composites were studied. The experiment showed that WPC formulated with 100 phr of rPS, 30 phr of CS, 3 phr of MAPS, and 1 phr of Ultra‐Plast WP516 possesses higher modulus and tensile strength compared to the neat EPS, measured at 2.5 GPa and 27.5 MPa, respectively. Although the WPC experienced initiation of thermal degradation at a temperature lower than neat rPS, but the thermal stability of rPS/CS composites containing varying composition of MAPS and Ultra‐Plast WP516 was better at high temperature. Furthermore, a 50% weight loss took place at a higher temperature. Nevertheless, the glass transition temperature of the rPS/CS composite with addition of MAPS and Ultra‐Plast WP516 was found lower than the neat rPS. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:202–210, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers

中文翻译：

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消费后回收的聚苯乙烯和椰子壳生产的木塑复合材料：偶联剂和加工助剂对拉伸，热和形态性能的影响

膨胀聚苯乙烯（EPS）由于具有低密度，轻便，高冲击力和减振等特性，已在许多行业中广泛用作一次性包装材料。尽管EPS的使用逐年增加，但回收设施经常拒绝处理消耗后的EPS，原因是经济可行性差，与物料的收集，存储和运输中高昂的物流和运输成本有关。这项研究的目的是通过研究其在可持续木塑复合材料（WPC）开发中作为原料的潜力，来增强消费后EPS的价值链，从而提供有吸引力的商业机会，这也增加了对EPS回收的兴趣，并间接延长了使用寿命处置的每股收益。回收的聚苯乙烯（rPS），椰子壳（CS）的各种成分，使用HAAKE内部混合器将马来酸化的聚苯乙烯（MAPS）和Ultra-Plast WP516混合，并压制成型以形成WPC。研究了材料配方对复合材料的机械，热学和形态学性能的影响。实验表明，与纯EPS相比，在2.5 GPa和27.5 MPa下测得，由100 phr的rPS，30 phr的CS，3 phr的MAPS和1 phr的Ultra-Plast WP516配制的WPC具有比纯EPS更高的模量和拉伸强度，分别。尽管WPC在低于纯rPS的温度下经历了热降解的开始，但是包含不同成分的MAPS和Ultra-Plast WP516的rPS / CS复合材料在高温下的热稳定性更好。此外，在较高的温度下发生了50％的重量损失。尽管如此，发现添加了MAPS和Ultra-Plast WP516的rPS / CS复合材料的玻璃化转变温度低于纯rPS。POLYM。ENG。SCI。，60：202–210，2020.©2019塑料工程师协会