COMPOSITES OF RIGID POLYURETHANE FOAM AND SHREDDED CAR WINDOW GLASS PARTICLES – STRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

This publication describes the effect of shredded (milled) car windows on the structure and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane (PUR) foam. The multi-stage shredding (crushing + milling) process for car windows provides an effective method for reusing the material as a filler. The proposed method of the mechanical recycling of windshields is energy-consuming, which increases the costs of recycling processes. At the same time, this method is scalable, which allows the processes to be transferred from the laboratory to the industrial scale. The mechanical properties of the foams reinforced with shredded glass were assessed by performing a compression test in accordance with standard PN EN 826. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness in increasing the compressive strength for the two-component polyurethane foam with densities of 30, 50 and 70 kg/m³. The addition of milled glass in the amounts of 10, 20, 30% by weight increases the compressive strength of the rigid foams from 10 to even 90%. The filler particles create areas where new pores form, resulting in the reinforced PUR foams having more small pores than the neat PUR foams. The sharp edges of the glass particles act as “cut-ting blades” for the pores that form, which is manifested by the foil effect on the filler surface.