Waste ABS plastics used in electrical packaging appliances: regeneration and properties

Abstract

The high recycling value of waste acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene plastics (wABS) has attracted extensive attention over the recent decades. In this paper, macromolecular chain healing was successfully achieved by melt blending, in which chain extender was used to extend the chain in situ between carboxyl group in wABS and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). Various characterization techniques were applied to study the structures and properties of modified wABS samples, including torque rheometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, capillary rheometry, mechanical property testing, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When HTPB content was1.0% (wt), the equilibrium torque and notch impact strength of wABS/HTPB were observed to increase by 7% and 11% in comparison with recycled ABS. The results also demonstrated that HTPB played an important role in enhancing the thermal stability of wABS, especially in the range of 200–370 °C. A similar observation was noted during the evaluation of apparent viscosity, storage modulus, and loss modulus. Besides, SEM images confirmed that the peeling degree of the polybutadiene phase in the modified wABS was reduced after etching, and the binding force of the two phases of wABS was enhanced. This work may provide a new technical approach for the regeneration and modification of wABS.