This research was conducted to obtain a recycle material from sludge wasted during paperboard making process. The waste sludge was mixed and extruded with LDPE plastic. A coupling agent, polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) coupling agent, was used to improve the properties of the plastic composites. Factors affecting plastic composite properties were investigated including % sludge loading at 1, 3 and 5% by total weight and %PE-g-MA loading at 3 and 5% by total weight. The materials were first pelletized using a twin-screw extruder and then processed by injection molding. The mechanical and physical properties of the samples were examined. It was found that the mechanical properties of LDPE/sludge plastic were changed when the sludge was added. It was also shown that sludge loading decreased tensile strength and impact strength of composite plastic insignificantly. In contrast, other physical property of composite plastic, elasticity and elongation at break was increased when the % of sludge loading was increased.

Key words: Sludge, recycle, paperboard.
 

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