Page 49 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V1

Mechanical Performance and Structural Feasibility of Recycled HDPE in
Furniture Design: Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the mechanical viability of recycled
HDPE for use in lightweight structural applications, particularly
in furniture design. Through a combination of ASTM-standard
tensile testing and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the material's
strength and deformation characteristics were quantified and
validated against practical loading scenarios. At an optimal
processing temperature of 150 °C, recycled HDPE achieved a
tensile strength of 20.8 MPa and sustained significant elongation,
indicating a favourable balance between strength and ductility.
When modelled under typical user loads, the FEA confirmed that
stress and displacement remained well within safe operational
limits, with a safety factor exceeding 2. Beyond mechanical
feasibility, the successful reuse of post-consumer plastic
underscores the material’s potential in circular product
development, reducing dependency on virgin resources. The
findings support broader adoption of recycled thermoplastics in
engineering applications, provided that variability in feedstock is
carefully managed. Future research should expand into fatigue
behaviour, creep resistance under long-term load, and hybrid
structural reinforcements to further increase the reliability of
recycled HDPE in dynamic or high-load settings. Life cycle
assessment (LCA) would also help quantify environmental gains
compared to conventional materials.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors acknowledge the financial support from Erasmus+
CBHE project GetInnovative4Impact, funded by the European
Union (Project Number: 101083121). Views and opinions
expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not
necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the
European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible
for them.

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