Suppressing mechanical property variability in recycled plastics via bioinspired design.

ABSTRACT: Over 350 million metric tons of plastic waste are generated annually, with most ending up in landfills, dumps, or the environment, posing significant risks. Mechanical recycling remains underutilized, largely due to the high variability in the mechanical properties of recycled plastics (recyclates). This variability undermines performance reliability and hinders the adoption of recyclates in demanding industrial applications. Inspired by natural materials, known for their mechanical robustness despite microstructural stochasticity, we propose a universal, chemistry-agnostic, brick-and-mortar design tailored for recycled polymers. In this design, stiff recycled plastic platelets (bricks) are embedded in a soft virgin polymer matrix (mortar), which accommodates deformation and redistributes

SUBMITTER: Georgiou D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12377729 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature