EXTRUSION AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PVC LEATHER FIBER COMPOSITES

Every year great quantities of chrome tanned leather wastes produced b y the footwear and clothing industries are buried or burned. These pra ctices produce several contaminants that are released into the environ ment. An alternative to disposing of these wastes is to reuse them. In this work, a method to use these wastes as filler in a polymer matrix is proposed. Also, a technique for processing the composite obtained by continuous extrusion is demonstrated. To evaluate this technique, a series of PVC-leather fiber composites were prepared and extruded thr ough a flat die to produce sheets. The process produced a leather-like sheet that could be used in several applications. The influence of th e filler content on the processability and the final properties of the composite sheets were evaluated. The tests revealed that the sheets a re flexible and exhibit sufficient water absorption to be suitable for several applications in the footwear and clothing industry. Finally, the tests show that this composite can be formulated and processed at high productivity levels and at a low cost.