Recycling of painted and varnished acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials with maleic anhydride additives to obtain polycarbonate/ABS blends

Abstract

Plastic and plastic based materials are very important for environmental sustainability. Now, it can be recycled many plastic type. But it is not enough level. In order to prevent environmental pollution and protect living things, the sustainability and recovery/recycling of plastic materials should be researched, and recycling rates should be increased. Especially, it is a difficult problem of recycling and recovery of coated and painted plastics. In this study, it was investigated recycling coated and varnished ABS plastic to obtain polycarbone/ABS blend. PC/ABS blends are commonly used home appliance, automotive and other sectors. The new sector is 3D printing area. Therefore, sustainable production of this blend is very important. Recycling polymers are usually used in same polymer type. If they can be used in different polymer blends, sustainability of the polymers will be increased. Thus, it will be released less waste to nature. However, coated and varnished polymers can not be blended as durable with other blend polymers such as polycarbonate without a agent. In this study, it was investigated and evaluated the effects of ABS-g-MA on the mechanical properties of blends of coated and varnished ABS with polycarbonate. Impact and tensile strength tests were performed to determine mechanical properties. PC/ABS compositions were prepared at 70/30-50/50-90/10 percentages respectively. It was added ABS-g-MA into the compositions 1-3-5-7-10 percentages respectively. The test results, show that ABS-g-MA effect possitive to the mechanical properties. The blend of PC/ABS/ABS-g-MA 90/10/10 had the highest tensile strength. PC/ABS/ABS-g-MA 90/10/3 blend had highest impact strength. In addition, other compositions with ABS-g-MA were convenient for industrial usage. The microstructure morphology fractured surfaces of blends specimens from impact tests was examined using by SEM. The obtain results during this research are promising for the recycling of ABS coated and varnished in a PC/ABS blend for industrial uses.