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. 2024 Oct 25;29(21):5037.
doi: 10.3390/molecules29215037.

Degradation of Decabromodiphenyl Ether Dispersed in Poly (Acrylo-Butadiene-Styrene) Using a Rotatory Laboratory Pilot Under UV-Visible Irradiation

Rachida Khadidja Benmammar  1 , Zohra Bouberka  2 , Christian Malas  3 , Yvain Carpentier  4 , Kawssar Mujtaba Haider  4 , Venkateswara Rao Mundlapati  4   5 , Michael Ziskind  4 , Cristian Focsa  4 , Skander Khelifi  6 , Franck Poutch  6 , Fouad Laoutid  7 , Philippe Supiot  1 , Corinne Foissac  1 , Ulrich Maschke  1
Affiliations

Degradation of Decabromodiphenyl Ether Dispersed in Poly (Acrylo-Butadiene-Styrene) Using a Rotatory Laboratory Pilot Under UV-Visible Irradiation

Rachida Khadidja Benmammar et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The growing volume of plastics derived from electronic waste (e-waste) underscores the imperative for environmentally sustainable strategies for the management of this waste. In light of the paramount importance of this issue, a pilot demonstrator for the decontamination of polymers containing Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) has been developed. The objective is to investigate the potential for decontaminating BFR-containing polymers from e-waste via UV-visible irradiation using a rotatory laboratory pilot operating under primary vacuum conditions. This report focuses on binary model blends composed of 90 weight% (wt%) poly(Acrylo-Butadiene-Styrene) (ABS) pellets and 10 wt% Deca-Bromo-Diphenyl Ether (DBDE), which is one of the most toxic BFRs. The efficiency of the irradiation process was evaluated as a function of pellet diameter and irradiation time using Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR) and High-Resolution Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (HR-LDI-MS). As a consequence, ABS + DBDE achieved a decontamination efficiency of 97% when irradiated with pellets of less than 1 mm in diameter for a period of 4 h. Additionally, the thermal behavior of the irradiated samples was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. It was thus established that the application of UV-visible irradiation had no significant impact on the overall thermal properties of ABS.

Keywords: UV-visible irradiation; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene; decabromodiphenylether; e-waste; recycling.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
FTIR analysis of ABS + DBDE after 4 h of irradiation, as a function of pellets diameters: (a) Evolution of the aromatic C-O-C vibration band of DBDE, (b) photodegradation efficiency (in %) calculated from the integrated peak area between 1400 and 1250 cm−1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FTIR spectra of ABS + DBDE as a function of exposure time to irradiation in the range 1600–1200 cm−1: Evolution of the C-O-C ether band of DBDE between 1400 and 1250 cm−1.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FTIR spectra of ABS + DBDE in the range 650–520 cm−1 as a function of irradiation time: evolution of the aromatic C-Br bands of DBDE between 550 and 565 cm−1 and 605 and 635 cm−1.
Figure 4
Figure 4
FTIR spectra of ABS + DBDE as function of irradiation time: (a) C-C bands between 1150 and 860 cm−1, (b) N-H bands of polymer additives between 3350 and 3240 cm−1, (c) C=N bands of polymer additives between 1775 and 1525 cm−1, (d) C≡N band of ABS at 2237 cm−1.
Figure 5
Figure 5
FTIR spectra of pristine ABS, ABS + DBDE and irradiated ABS + DBDE (two pellet thicknesses, 4 h of irradiation), obtained in the range between 805 and 1190 cm−1.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The mass spectra of “Pristine ABS”, “ABS + DBDE”, and “ABS + DBDE Irradiated x h” were subjected to four distinct UV-Vis irradiation durations (x = 0–4 h). The main species related to diphenylether compounds are identified and indicated. The spectra have been normalized to the total ion count (TIC).
Figure 7
Figure 7
(a) Mass spectrum of ABS + DBDE within the m/z = 75–125 region, which reveal the presence of brominated fragments; (b) Mass defect plots of ABS + DBDE (green) and ABS + DBDE Irradiated 1 h (blue) and 2 h (red). The area of the bubbles is proportional to the mass intensity signal relative to the total ion count (TIC).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Weight losses (continuous lines) and their derivatives (dashed lines) obtained by TGA for pristine ABS, ABS + DBDE, and irradiated ABS + DBDE.
Figure 9
Figure 9
DSC thermograms of pristine ABS, ABS + DBDE and irradiated ABS + DBDE at different exposure periods, corresponding to the second heating cycle.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Front view of the vacuum-packed rotary pilot exposed parallel to the light sources.
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Grants and funding

This research was co-funded by the National Research Agency (ANR EffPhob project 2021–2025) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the INTERREG FWVL V program (VALBREE project 2018-2022). The APC was funded by MDPI.

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