Novel recycling of plastic waste into high impact resistant ultralightweight thermally insulated hybrid composite.

This article focuses on the development and evaluation of a high-performance hybrid composite made from recycled plastic waste, specifically combining polycarbonate sheets and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) foam bonded with silicone adhesive. The composite is designed to be ultralightweight, thermally insulated, and highly impact resistant, targeting applications in cold regions such as the Himalayan area of India where traditional concrete and plastic tanks face durability and insulation challenges. Experimental tests, including drop impact, compression, dry ice exposure, and thermogravimetric analysis, alongside numerical simulations using Abaqus/Explicit, demonstrated that the composite maintains thermal insulation at temperatures as low as −78.6°C, withstands significant impact loads, and offers superior mechanical properties compared to conventional materials. The study highlights the composite's potential as a sustainable alternative for water and septic tanks in extreme cold environments, leveraging recycled plastics to address environmental and functional concerns.