Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Determination of Activation Energies of Waste Paper Products

Abstract

Tetra Pak® paper and PE (polyethylene) wastes were evaluated to obtain a new composite material with awareness of environmental responsibility.  Fillers and coupling agents were used for this joining process. Calcite (CaCO₃), boric acid (H₃BO₃), SPT (Sodium Perborate Tetrahydrate / NaBO₃.4H₂O), titanate, MAPE (maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, and vinyltriethoxysilane (C₈H₁₈O) composites were produced in 30 × 30 cm plates. A total of 30 samples were prepared as 5 mg flour for thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Samples were observed in a thermal analyzer at 10, 15, or 20 °C/min heating rate in nitrogen atmosphere. Graphs were obtained as a result of TGA, and the activation energies were calculated using these graphs. The activation energy was calculated using the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. The determined activation energies of the composites were close to each other for each temperature group. In the samples using calcite and vinyltriethoxysilane, relatively higher activation energies were observed in comparison to the samples with boric acid and MAPE.