Determination of the Immersion Resistance of Polymeric Biocomposites Based on TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) / Recycled TPU / Protein and Elastomeric Waste Mixture

Collection and recycling of waste from the footwear industry (elastomeric waste) and leather goods (protein waste), as well as other related fields, in order to use it to obtain new products, also easy to recycle and environmentally friendly, is increasingly emphasized. Both elastomeric and protein waste mixed with current elastomers, thanks to new technologies, lead to obtaining new polymer structures / composites (biocomposites) with high-performance properties. This article describes the obtaining of polymeric biocomposites based on thermoplastic polyurethane/recycled thermoplastic polyurethane/mixed protein and elastomeric waste, and also the determination of their immersion resistance in different immersion environments. Recycled thermoplastic polyurethane waste, but also mixed protein and elastomeric waste (SBR rubber) were modified in the first phase by cryogenic grinding. Subsequently only the mixed leather and SBR rubber waste was modified with 5% polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The polymer biocomposite specimens were characterized from the point of view of immersion in liquids in various immersion environments, after being conditioned at room temperature for 22-24 hours. The characterization is done according to the ISO 1817:2015 standard, following the variation in volume (ΔV) and mass (ΔM). The immersion was carried out in brown and tightly closed containers. The immersion time was 22 hours, at ambient temperature.