Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Dimple sheets are gaining more and more interest in residential and commercial construction and in the civil engineering industry for their ability to control ground water and protect foundation walls against moisture. They are now a mandatory component of modern buildings in some Canadian provinces. The industrial partner is using coextrusion to manufacture a unique type of dimple sheets, which includes recycled resin in its core and high-quality material in the skins to ensure long term performance. Historical practice has been to use blow-molding grade recycled resins, mainly because of their availability in large quantity and relatively good mechanical properties. However, they are now among the priciest of recycled resins, about 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than other grades such as blown film, which are cheaper due to their lower mechanical properties. This project is aimed at identifying solutions allowing the use of a broader range of postconsumer recycled resins, including blown film grades, in the formulation of dimpled membranes without compromising their performance. The avenues that will be explored include the improvement of the formulation of the core component, e.g. by blending low grade recycled resins with high quality materials. Skin formulations will also be adjusted to ensure the global performance of the product, in particular with respect to durability. The geometry of the dimple will also be re-considered to maximize the effectiveness of the raw material properties. This project benefits from a strong partnership of industry and research key players in drainage products. It will allow the development of innovative solutions for increasing the use of low grade recycled resins in high performance manufactured good, with a positive impact on both the environment and the performance of modern buildings. The project provides a unique opportunity to confirm Canada as a leader in ""green"" building materials. It will also contribute to the progress of research on sustainable manufacturing, which is one of the areas targeted by NSERC.