Recycled polyolefin component for household appliances

Abstract

A component for household appliances made of a plastic mixture comprising recycled polyolefin composition deriving from post-consumer plastic materials and/or post-industrial plastic materials and at least one filler. Also provided are a household appliance including the component and a method for manufacturing the household appliance by using the component.

Claims

1. A component for household appliances, the component comprising a plastic mixture comprising recycled polyolefin composition deriving from post-consumer plastic and/or post industrial plastic materials and fillers, wherein the plastic mixture comprises: 10-60% recycled polyolefin composition; 42-60% mineral filler; 15-40% reinforcing filler; 0-1% additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants and lubricants; and 0-3% grafting polymer; the percentages being by weight of the total plastic mixture, wherein the mineral filler is selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate and talc, and wherein the reinforcing filler is selected from the group consisting of glass fibers and natural fibers; and wherein the plastic mixture has a density of from 1246 kg/m.sup.3 to 1289 kg/m.sup.3.

2. The component for household appliances according to claim 1, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a washing machine tub, a washer drier tub, washing machine rear panel, a washing machine softener case, a washer drier rear panel, a washer drier softener case, a drier rear panel, a drier base, a dish washer base, a dish washer shelf, a dish washer sump, a dish washer salt case, a dish washer softener case, a dish washer tank and a conduit cover.

3. The component for household appliances according to claim 1, wherein the recycled polyolefin composition comprises recycled polypropylene.

4. The component for household appliances according to claim 1, wherein the recycled polyolefin composition comprises: 60-90% recycled polypropylene; 0-20% recycled polyethylene; 0-10% recycled styrenic resin selected from the group consisting of recycled polystyrene, recycled high-impact polystyrene, recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and mixtures thereof; and 0-10% other polymers selected from the group consisting of recycled polyethylene terephthalate, recycled polyacrylate, recycled polybutylene terephthalate, recycled polyoxymethylene, recycled poly(p-phenylene oxide) and mixtures thereof, the percentages being by weight of the total recycled polyolefin composition.

5. The component for household appliances according to claim 1, wherein the plastic mixture further comprises 14.25 to 50% neat polypropylene by weight of the total plastic mixture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(1) For the purpose of the present invention, by the term post-consumer plastic materials there are meant the selected materials deriving from the separate collection of wastes, especially municipal solid wastes, preferably from packaging.

(2) Another possible definition indicates that the post-consumer plastic material are those materials which the consumer has stopped using and which may be solid, thrown away, or discarded as waste (The global Development Research Centre. Solid waste management. Glossary, http://glossary.eea.europa.eu), such as waste electrical and electronic equipments (WEEE) and waste from automotive industries.

(3) For the purpose of the present invention, by the term post-industrial plastic materials it is meant that such components are represented by industrial scraps and, i.e., by residues and/or scraps coming from or resulting from industrial processing of virgin plastic materials.

(4) Preferably, though not necessarily, the component is made of a plastic mixture comprising 10-60% recycled polyolefin and 0.1-60% filler, the percentage being by weight of the total plastic mixture.

(5) Preferably, though not necessarily, the component is furthermore characterized in that the recycled polyolefin composition comprises recycled polypropylene (PP).

(6) As regards polypropylene PP, it may be a polypropylene homopolymer, block-copolymer or random copolymer.

(7) For the purposes of the present invention, by the term polypropylene homopolymer it is meant a polymer having a high isotactic degree containing only propylene monomeric units joined head-to-tail, while by the term polypropylene copolymer it is meant a polymer as stated above, containing even small amounts (preferably less than 10%) of ethylene.

(8) The recycled polyolefin composition may comprise: 60-90% polypropylene; 0-20% polyethylene; 0-10% styrenic resin selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and mixtures thereof; 0-10% other polymers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephtalate, polyacrylate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyoxymethylene, poly(p-phenylene oxide) and mixtures thereof, the percentages being by weight of the total recycled polyolefin.

(9) Instead, by the term polyethylene (homopolymer) it is meant a linear polymer only of ethylene monomeric units, therefore highly crystalline.

(10) For the purposes of the present invention, the polyethylene may be a low density polyethylene (LDPE), i.e., with short and long branches, or it may be linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), with short branches, i.e., an ethylene copolymer with C3-C8 alpha-olefins (i.e., a ethylene copolymer with mono-substituted olefins: propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, etc.) or ethylene propylene rubber or mixtures thereof.

(11) The plastic mixture may further comprise 0-50% neat polypropylene by weight of the total plastic mixture.

(12) Preferably, though not necessarily, the component is furthermore characterized in that the filler is selected from the group consisting of a mineral filler and a reinforcing filler. In particular, the mineral filler can be selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate and talc. The reinforcing filler can be selected from the group consisting of glass fibers and natural fibers, such as cellulose.

(13) Preferably, though not necessarily, the component is furthermore characterized in that the plastic mixture further comprises additives selected from the group consisting of antioxidants and lubricants, more preferably in an amount of from 0 to 1% by weight of the plastic mixture.

(14) The plastic mixture may further comprise grafting polymers such as maleic anhydride polypropylene.

(15) The component according to the invention can be a structural or a non structural component of the household appliance.

(16) For the purpose of the present invention, by the term structural component it is meant a component that is able to support loads (weight, force, etc. . . . ) without breaking, tearing apart, or collapsing. Typical structural components in an household appliance are dynamic components able to bear vibrations and movements. Non limitative example of a structural component is the tub shell of a washing machine.

(17) As opposite to structural components, by the term non structural element it is meant a component that is not destined to support loads, i.e. static components.

(18) When the component is a structural component, it is made preferably of a plastic mixture comprising: 10-60% recycled polyolefin; 0-50% neat polyolefin; 0-60% mineral filler; 0-40% reinforcing filler
the percentages being by weight of the total plastic mixture.

(19) The structural component is preferably selected from the group consisting of a washing machine tub and washer drier tub.

(20) When the component is a non-structural component, it is made preferably of a plastic mixture comprising: 30-60% recycled polyolefin; 0-60% mineral filler; 0-20% reinforcing filler
the percentages being by weight of the total plastic mixture.

(21) The non-structural component is preferably selected from the group consisting of washing machine rear panel, washing machine softener case, washer drier rear panel, washer drier softener case, drier rear panel, drier base, dish washer base, dish washer shelf, dish washer sump, dish washer salt case, dish washer softener case, dish washer tank, food preservation household appliance carters and conduit cover.

(22) According to the present invention there is also provided a household appliance comprising the above disclosed component.

(23) According to the present invention there is also provided a method for manufacturing an household appliance characterized in that the above disclosed component is used.

(24) A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example.

EXAMPLE 1

(25) In following table 1, there are illustrated five different plastic mixtures according to the invention.

(26) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Structural uses non-Structural uses Compositions compositions Component #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 Recycled 14.25 14.25 57.00 57.00 44.00 Polypropylene Neat 42.75 42.75 Polypropylene Additives 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Polymer 3 3 grafting Mineral filler 42.00 20.00 42.00 55.00 Reinforcement 15.00 30.00 fiber Weight in parts hundred of compound (phc)

(27) The mechanical properties of mixtures #1 and #4 of table 1 are illustrated in table 2.

(28) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Structural uses non-Structural uses Mechanical Compositions compositions property #1 #4 Density 1258 12 kg/m.sup.3 1277 12 kg/m.sup.3 Flexural >2400 MPa >2000 MPa modulus (1.3 mm/min) at 23 C. Flexural >500 MPa modulus (1.3 mm/min) at 80 C. Tensile stress >20 MPa >15 MPa at yield (50 mm/min) at 23 C. Strain at >2% >2% yield (50 mm/min) at 23 C. Resilience Izod >3 kJ/m.sup.2 >3 kJ/m.sup.2 A at 23 C. Resilience Izod >26 kJ/m.sup.2 >22 kJ/m.sup.2 E at 23 C.