title: Characterisation of recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment in Brazil.
abstract: Polymeric materials constitute a considerable fraction of waste computer equipment and polymers acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene are the main thermoplastic polymeric components found in waste computer equipment. Identification, separation and characterisation of additives present in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene are fundamental procedures to mechanical recycling of these polymers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methods for identification of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment in Brazil, as well as their potential for mechanical recycling. The imprecise utilisation of symbols for identification of the polymers and the presence of additives containing toxic elements in determinate computer devices are some of the difficulties found for recycling of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment. However, the considerable performance of mechanical properties of the recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene when compared with the virgin materials confirms the potential for mechanical recycling of these polymers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, University of São Paulo, Lorena, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Engineering, University of São Paulo, Lorena, Brazil saron@usp.br.
authors.forename: Clodoaldo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saron
mesh_terms: D000181:Acrylonitrile / Q000032:analysis*; D001938:Brazil; D002070:Butadienes / Q000032:analysis*; D003201:Computers; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000032:analysis; D059027:Recycling; D012212:Rheology; D020058:Styrene / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D011137:Polystyrenes; D020058:Styrene; C031763:1,3-butadiene; D000181:Acrylonitrile
keywords: Mechanical recycling; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene; computer equipment; high-impact polystyrene; polymers; waste electrical and electronic equipment