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Electron Beam Processing as a Promising Tool to Decontaminate Polymers Containing Brominated Flame Retardants
Rachida Khadidja Benmammar1, Venkateswara Rao Mundlapati2, Zohra Bouberka3
1Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 9, 2023
Summary
Electron Beam (EB) irradiation effectively degrades DecaBromoDiphenylEther (DBDE), a toxic brominated flame retardant (BFR), in Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC) plastics. This method shows promise for decontaminating electronic waste (e-waste) by removing harmful additives.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Chemistry
Background:
- Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) contains hazardous brominated flame retardants (BFRs).
- DecaBromoDiphenylEther (DBDE) is a prevalent and toxic BFR found in polymers like Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC).
- Effective methods are needed to decontaminate these polymers and mitigate environmental risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of Electron Beam (EB) irradiation in degrading DBDE within ABS and PC polymer matrices.
- To assess the impact of EB irradiation on the thermal properties and structural integrity of ABS and PC.
- To explore EB irradiation as a potential solution for decontaminating plastic components of e-waste.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of ABS-DBDE and PC-DBDE model systems to varying doses of EB irradiation.
- Analysis of DBDE degradation using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
- Evaluation of polymer thermal properties via Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
- Confirmation of debromination using high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Achieved 87% DBDE degradation in ABS and 91% in PC at an 1800 kGy irradiation dose.
- Observed polymer crosslinking in ABS and a slight decrease in the glass transition temperature of PC.
- Confirmed significant debromination of both polymer systems via mass spectrometry.
- Demonstrated that EB irradiation did not adversely affect the overall thermal stability of the polymers.
Conclusions:
- EB irradiation is a highly effective method for degrading toxic DBDE in ABS and PC polymers.
- The process leads to debromination without compromising the essential thermal properties of the plastics.
- EB irradiation presents a promising, environmentally conscious approach for treating BFR-contaminated plastic e-waste.
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