Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE Ethylene–octene copolymer (EOC) compatibilizes recycled polypropylene (RPP) and recycled low-density polyethylene (RLDPE) derived from biomedical plastic waste and is benchmarked against virgin polyolefin systems. EOC improves phase dispersion, reduces interparticle distance, and strengthens interfacial adhesion, resulting in enhanced mechanical and thermal performance. The findings establish EOC as an effective compatibilizer for producing high-performance recycled polyolefin materials from sterilized medical waste.

ABSTRACT
This study investigates the compatibilization of recycled low-density polyethylene (RLDPE) and recycled polypropylene (RPP) derived from sterilized biomedical plastic waste using ethylene–octene copolymer (EOC). The influence of EOC on the mechanical, thermal, crystallization, dynamic mechanical, and morphological properties of recycled and virgin polyolefin blends was systematically evaluated. Incorporation of EOC significantly improved the performance of recycled blends, particularly in LDPE-rich systems. The RLDPPEO-02 formulation (75/25/10 wt% RLDPE/RPP/EOC) exhibited the highest tensile strength (21.6 MPa), elongation at break (501.4%), impact strength (53.1 kJ/m2), and toughness (8483 MPa), representing substantial improvements over the uncompatibilized blend. Principal Component Analysis identified RLDPPEO-02 as the optimum formulation with the highest overall performance score. Morphological analysis revealed a reduction in interparticle distance from 0.74 nm in the control blend to 0.43 nm following EOC addition, indicating enhanced phase dispersion and interfacial adhesion. DSC and nonisothermal crystallization studies showed that EOC modified crystallization behavior without eliminating the characteristic thermal transitions of RLDPE and RPP. Dynamic mechanical analysis and heat deflection temperature measurements confirmed improved phase interaction while maintaining acceptable thermal performance. Compared with previously reported EPDM-based systems, EOC demonstrated superior compatibilization efficiency, providing an effective route for converting biomedical plastic waste into high-performance recycled polyolefin materials.