The ROPEVEMI project: Industrial scale-up of a microwave-assisted rotational moulding process for sustainable manufacturing of polyethylene

Abstract

The paper reports an overview of the ROPEVEMI project aiming at the development, from laboratory to industrial scale, of an innovative and sustainable microwave-assisted rotational moulding (RM) process for manufacturing of polyethylene (PE) powders into medium-to-large-size hollow items. Based on a preliminary screening of MW-active materials which has proven the effective energy saving in the use of microwaves as heating source, here the best responsive formulations were deeply investigated and scaled-up to be used as sustainable, versatile and cost-effective coatings to make the moulds used in classic RM technology heatable in a MW field. The parameters involved into the formulation and composition, in terms of MW-active materials, their amount with respect to the mould mass, as well as the relative parameters of the microwave heating were settled. Finally, high quality PE prototypes were prepared for the first time by means of an innovative MW-assisted RM process, demonstrating its industrial feasibility.