Improving the recycling of
multilayer polymer films
This first scientific publication, produced as part of the PEPR Recyclage Plastics axis, explores waste management technologies for flexible multi-layer barrier polymer films, a material with interesting properties but very complex to recycle. It presents the work of Adam Hissein Bechibo, a doctoral researcher at the Polymer Materials Engineering (IMP) laboratory in Lyon.
Can you describe your research?
Flexible multi-layer barrier polymer films are attracting attention due to their lightness and versatility. They account for over 17% of global plastic packaging production, primarily in the food sector. However, their complex chemical composition and strong interlayer adhesion, due to the presence of bonding layers, pose significant recycling challenges.
My thesis aims to enhance the value of multi-micro-nano-layer barrier polymer films as well as hybrid plastronic systems. These multi-layer systems, generally composed of different materials, make recyclability more complex. The idea of this thesis is to identify the different recycling methods adapted to multi-layer films, and to favor recovery by physical means through mechanochemical treatment.
What are the results obtained?
The main objective of this article is to review the different recycling methods for multilayer flexible polymer barrier films. To do so, the main characteristics of multilayer films were first examined, followed by a discussion on the main recycling techniques, including mechanical recycling, delamination, selective dissolution precipitation, and chemical recycling. Finally, life cycle assessment studies on the recycling of multilayer film waste were reviewed, and an eco-design-based approach was proposed, aiming to transform multi-material multilayer films into mono-material films.
What do you think are the implications of your results and the prospects for future research?
This research provides an overview of the main recycling methods for multilayer polymer systems, whether already implemented at pilot scale or still under development at laboratory scale. In addition, the life cycle analysis of the different methods studied in this study makes it possible to identify methods that have a high environmental impact. An eco-design approach was also discussed, thus offering a promising avenue to facilitate the recycling of this type of system. In our current work, we are focusing on two types of methods, namely mechanical recycling and selective dissolution precipitation, to recover multilayer films developed in our laboratory via a coextrusion process.
The results obtained using the mechanical recycling method are promising. We were able to obtain interesting rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties with the recycled materials. These results will be published in a subsequent article.
Recycling of Multilayer Polymeric Barrier Films: an Overview of Recent Pioneering Works and Main Challenges
Hissein Bechibo Adam, Mohamed Yousfi, Abderrahim Maazouz, Khalid Lamnawar
First published: 16 April 2025 : https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202400414