A sustainable approach toward mechanical recycling unsortable post-consumer WEEE: Reactive and non-reactive compatibilization
Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Waste Management
Publication Date
4-15-2024
Abstract
While near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in post-consumer waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling accurately separates white or clear polymers, 40% containing dark plastics, termed 'unsortable WEEE,' are excluded from sorting lines and therefore incinerated or landfilled, causing environmental concerns. This study investigates the potential of using non-reactive and reactive copolymers as compatibilizers to enhance the performance of unsortable WEEE plastics free of brominated flame retardants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such copolymers have been explored as a solution for improving the compatibility of unsortable WEEE polymer blends. Initial trials with 4% of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene copolymer (SEBS-13) and SEBS-30-g-(maleic anhydride) copolymer (SEBS-30-g-MA MA) as compatibilizers showed insufficient results compared to virgin commercial polymers. However, the addition of higher concentrations of compatibilizers (i.e. up to 20 wt%) and the use of a SEBS having a higher styrene content (i.e. SEBS-30) improved the mechanical properties of the material, causing it to transition from brittle to ductile. This behavior was found more pronounced for the 20% non-reactive SEBS-30, for which the SEM analysis showed reduced phase segregation and revealed a more homogeneous fracture surface. This was further supported by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis, which showed evidence of an interaction between one or more polymer phases. With a room temperature performance equivalent to that of virgin conventional polymers, the SEBS-30 compatibilization approach has made it possible to consider using unsortable WEEE streams as recycled materials in commercial applications.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
178
First Page
301
Last Page
310
Disciplines
Environmental Sciences
Keywords
Maleic anhydride, Melt processing, Reactive compatibilization, Recycling, SEBS, Unsortable WEEE
Scopus ID
Recommended Citation
Belyamani, I.; Bourdon, S.; Brossard, J. M.; Cauret, L.; Fontaine, L.; Montembault, V.; and Maris, J., "A sustainable approach toward mechanical recycling unsortable post-consumer WEEE: Reactive and non-reactive compatibilization" (2024). All Works. 6489.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/6489
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
no