Abstract

For flooring applications, calcium carbonate-filled poly(vinyl chloride), PVC, has long been the material of choice for both flexible sheeting and tile products. However, PVC-based formulations must be processed with plasticizers, which have recently raised some concerns from a sustainability point of view. In the research work reported here, calcium carbonate-filled formulations based on polyolefin plastomers, POP, are prepared in a laboratory-scale mixer, and their mechanical properties are studied for flooring applications. Plastomers are olefin copolymers synthesized using new metallocene catalyst technologies. The POP plastomer used in this research is Affinity 1140 a copolymer of ethylene and octene, and does not require any plasticizers for processing. The key mechanical properties of the calcium carbonate-filled POP, which include tensile strength, elongation and impact strength, are found to compare very favourably to those of PVC formulations at filler loadings of 200 phr. In addition, the filled POP formulations are able to incorporate a significant amount of post-consumer polyethylene(PC-PE) while maintaining adequate physical properties. Two types of PC-PE are tested in this research work: the first one is a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), and the second is a high density polyethylene (HDPE). The DSC analysis technique is used to study the difference in behavior between the two recycled resins. Dimensional stability tests are also reported, indicating that POP composites contract slightly more than the PVC-based ones. Overall, this study shows that calcium carbonate-filled POP should be studied further as a more sustainable alternative to filled PVC for flooring applications.