Recycling cycle of materials applied to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene / policarbonate blends with styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer addition

Abstract

The scope of this research is the recycling of polymers from mobile phones hulls discarded and the performance evaluation when they are submitted to the Recycling Cycle of Materials (RCM). The studied material was the ABS/PC blend in a 70/30 proportion. Different compositions were evaluated adding virgin material, recy cled material and using the copolymer SBS as impact modifier. In order to evaluate the properties of material's composition, the samples were characterized by TGA, FTIR, SEM, IZOD impact strength and tensile strength tests. At the first stage, the pr esented results suggest the com position containing 25% of recycl ed material and 5% of SBS combines good mechanical performance to the higher content of recycled material and lower content of impact modifier providing major benefits to recycling plans. Five cycles (RCM) were a pplied in the second stage; they evidenced a decrease trend considering the impact strength. At first and second cycle the impact strength was higher than reference materia l (A BS/PC blend) and from the fourth cycle it was lower. The superiority impact strength in the first and second cycles can be attributed to impact modifier effect. The thermal tests and th e spectrometry didn’t show the presence of degradation process in the m aterial and the TGA curves demonstrated the process stability. The impact surf ace of each sample was observed at SEM. The microstructures are not homogeneous presenting voids and lamellar appearance, although the outer surface presents no defects, dem onstrating good moldability. T he present work aims to assess the life cycle of the material from the successive recycling processes.