Effect of reprocessing and accelerated ageing on thermal and mechanical polycarbonate properties

The feasibility of reprocessing has been investigated as a possible alternative of polycarbonate recycling. The effect on thermal and mechanical properties of polycarbonates after up to 10 reprocessing cycles and the effect of the combined reprocessing and accelerated weathering were analyzed. Measurements collected after each molding cycle revealed a slight decrease of thermal properties. The same behaviour was observed from accelerated weathering tests. Neither the modulus of elasticity nor the tensile strength was affected in the first seven reprocessing cycles, whereas the impact strength decreased sharply. However, accelerated weathering showed that only after the first reprocessing cycle there was an important influence of the number of reprocessing cycles on the mechanical properties.