Preparation and properties of poly(vinyl chloride) composites recycled from used peritoneal dialysis solution containers and reinforced with silane-treated pineapple leaf fibers

In response to growing environmental concerns related to the accumulation of plastic wastes, this research study aimed to recycle medical-grade PVC plastic from used peritoneal dialysis solution containers (PDCs) by incorporating them into PVC composites reinforced with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-treated pineapple leaf fibers (APS-PALF). The investigation focused on varying the APS-PALF content (10-40 phr) to examine its influence on the mechanical and thermal properties of the PVC composites. PALF underwent alkaline and silane treatments, and the APS-PALF/PVC composites, mainly consisting of the mixed PVC (neat PVC:used PDCs = 50:50 phr) and APS-PALF, were fabricated by internal mixing, two-roll milling and compression molding. Characterization through ATR-FTIR and SEM techniques confirmed successful fiber treatments, and revealed interfacial compatibility in the APS-PALF/PVC composites. Mechanical property tests indicated the superior tensile and flexural strengths of the 40 phr APS-PALF/PVC composite while the 10 phr APS-PALF/PVC composite demonstrated the highest impact strength. Moreover, the TGA results indicated that the incorporation of APS-PALF led to higher thermal stability.