STATIC PROPERTIES OF RECYCLED EPS

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used extensively in the United States an d Europe for packaging fragile electronic equipment. Global concerns a bout solid waste have increased the pressure on packaging designers to use recycled materials in these applications. This study reports the effect of postconsumer recycled content in EPS on two properties of co ncern to designers, compressive strength, and creep performance. Blend s of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% recycled content materials were teste d and found to have strength properties nearly identical to new materi al, and in one case better. Creep properties varied with specific blen ds but for the most part tracked the performance of new EPS. The densi ty and internal structure of these blends, however, was markedly diffe rent from that of their parent material, particularly in the blended s tate.