PROCESS FOR PREPARING INSULATION SHEETS FROM UNSEPARATED MIXTURES OF POST-CONSUMER PLASTIC ARTICLES

摘要

A process for the preparation of thermal insulation sheets fashioned from certain unseparated mixtures of post-consumer plastic articles and the article, itself, is disclosed. The mixtures of such articles contain polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) and optionally also articles made of high density polyethylene (HDPE). An unseparated mixture of such articles is provided. This mixture is crushed and shredded to form plastic flakes, and these plastic flakes are then homogenized. Homogenization of the flakes can be carried out either by melt-blending them or by further comminution to produce very fine particles of the mixed plastics. The resulting homogenized mixture of plastic types is then compression molded into sheets ranging in thickness from about 3 to 10 mm.