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De-bonding of Laminates
[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2016.
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Abstract
This research has been performed to find a solution on how to de-bond textile laminates to make them suitable for recycling. There are several bonding mechanisms for laminates such as mechanical and chemical bonding. These laminates are created using different techniques, depending mostly on which type of adhesion to be used. Examples are solvent based lamination and hot melt lamination. There are already methods known that are used to recycle laminates. Recycling of carpet using mechanical delamination or de-bonding using high voltage electricity, where the adhesion reacts to the electricity. Applying the knowledge of lamination, adhesion and de-bonding methods a case study is performed. Ten Cate (international technical textile producer) provided an artificial turf sample of polypropylene and polyethylene turf with a styrene butadiene backing. Ten Cate is now working on a new, mono material, artificial turf that can be recycled in whole so the question they have is not to find a new type of bonding/ de-bonding mechanism but to find a de- bonding mechanism for the already produced laminate. Microscopic pictures show the styrene butadiene creeping through the textile layer, after de- bonding the layers the yarns are clean and the materials show residue only in between the yarns, which indicates a mechanical bonding. Previous research showed that it is possible to use solvents to disintegrate the surface of the latex, making it soft and able to remove the layer from the polypropylene woven layer. Samples of the artificial turf where placed in different types of solvent chosen for their suitable surface tension and solubility parameters. The experiments showed that it is possible to remove the styrene butadiene latex layer using this solvent method. Final recommendations for a solvent were made taking the experiments, costs and environmental issues into account to be able to give a useful advice to the company. These analyses show that ethyl acetate will be the best solvent to use for the de-bonding of the artificial turf, as the experiments show that when using the solvent it is possible to remove the styrene butadiene latex from the layer. Ethyl acetate is one of the least expensive solvents used and the solvent with the least impact on the environment and human health.