Polymer Composite Material

The Polymer Composite Material provides a method for using comingled plastics in a way that is not greatly impacted by changes in composition. Comingled plastics are used as a combination filler/binder material where low melting plastics are converted into binders with higher melting plastics serving as filler and structural reinforcements. The Polymer Composite Material is made by feeding the source materials into an extruder - a solid polymeric binder at a first feed rate and a solid filler at a second feed rate. The extruder (a) melts the solid polymeric binder, (b) mixes the melted solid polymeric binder with the solid filler, and (c) extrudes an extrudate of the solid polymeric binder and solid filler to form the composite material. The composite material has a binder to filler ratio determined by the first feed rate and second feed rate. The solid filler may be granular glass and the solid polymeric binder may be at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. The material can be created in a range of densities using foaming techniques. Many municipal curbside recycling programs fund their operations by selling recyclable waste. Unfortunately, over the past several years, the price of recyclable plastic and glass waste has dropped due to lack of demand. The lack of demand also means that more recyclable waste plastic and glass is being sent to landfills rather than being put to further use in the market. This places a larger strain on waste processing facilities, landfills, and the environment. Engineers at Kennedy Space Center have developed a new process for preparing composite materials made of a solid polymer binder and a solid filler which may, in some cases, be made from recycled sources. The material is intended to minimize the amount of plastics and recycling stream waste that goes to landfill and create additional uses/markets for recycling stream based products.