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pps proceeding
Symposium: S02 - Polymer Blends and Alloys
Oral Presentation
 
 

The Influence of Processing on the Structure and Properties of Blended and Melt Filtered Electronic Waste Thermoplastics

Stenvall Erik (1)*

(1) Chalmers University of Technology - Gothenburg - Sweden

In the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) studied the recyclable plastics fraction has previously been found to contain acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS, ~40 wt%), high impact polystyrene (HIPS, ~40 wt%), polypropylene (PP, ~10 wt%) and a rest fraction containing mainly other styrene-based thermoplastics and rubbers. The material studied in this work was a WEEE plastic blend from which rubbers have been removed by continuous melt-filtration (WEEEBR). The morphology, mechanical and thermal performance of WEEEBR was studied with respect to different melt-processing options (single screw extrusion, twin screw extrusion and injection moulding). The characteristics of WEEEBR were also compared with two ternary model material blends, one containing virgin materials (TBV) and one containing sorted and recycled ABS, HIPS and PP from WEEE (TBR). A comparison between single and twin screw extrusion of WEEEBR resulted in significantly higher elongation at break after twin screw extrusion. In general the ductility of WEEEBR was very low and only at low screw rotation rates (60 rpm) and barrel temperatures below 200oC the material yielded before fracture. Also in the case of TBV and TBR a significant decrease in ductility accompanied by an increase in stiffness and yield strength was seen at high processing temperatures. Thermal characterisation of WEEEBR by differential scanning calorimeter exhibited a clear melting transition of PP and also a melting peak of polyethylene. The peaks were not significantly influenced by a second melt-processing cycle. The glass transitions of HIPS and ABS were studied by dynamic mechanical testing, but since only one glass transition could be seen, a partial compatibility between the phases was indicated. The differences in mechanical performance at different processing conditions are expected to be connected to the morphology of the blends, which will be further studied in scanning electron microscopy.