Abstract

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is widely used as an engineering plastic, but its extensive use generates a significant amount of waste that is difficult to recycle due to the material’s complex composition. In this study, the physical recycling of ABS using the dissolution technique has been employed to separate the pure copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile (SAN) from polybutadiene rubber (PBR) and other substances. The relationships between the properties and composition of the original ABS materials were investigated as a starting point and for reference values to evaluate the effects of recycling on the quality and safety of recycled materials. Three different ABS materials were used in the recycling process from which pure SAN polymers were produced. The recycled SANs were then melt-blended with fresh masterbatch. The final ABS materials had the same composition, which facilitated investigation of whether the use of SAN recycled from different sources results in any differences in the properties of the final ABS material. The results showed that all the properties of ABS materials made with recycled SAN are similar regardless of the source of SAN. Several chemical substances were quantified in the original ABS materials and in SAN polymers obtained through the recycling process. The substances were largely removed from all materials except one. The main conclusions from this study are that the quality of ABS materials made with recycled SAN is at the same level as that of virgin ABS and is independent of the source from which SAN comes. This study has also shown that chemical safety is satisfactory because the physical recycling process is able to remove most of the substances that were present in the original ABS materials.

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