Electron Beam Processing as a Promising Tool to Decontaminate Polymers Containing Brominated Flame Retardants
Rachida Khadidja Benmammar,
Venkateswara Rao Mundlapati,
Zohra Bouberka,
Ana Barrera,
Jean-Noël Staelens,
Jean-François Tahon,
Michael Ziskind,
Yvain Carpentier,
Cristian Focsa,
Philippe Supiot,
Corinne Foissac,
Ulrich Maschke
Affiliations
Rachida Khadidja Benmammar
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Venkateswara Rao Mundlapati
Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules (PhlAM), UMR 8523, CNRS, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Zohra Bouberka
Laboratoire Physico-Chimique des Matériaux, Catalyse et Environnement (LPMCE), Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Mohammed Boudiaf d’Oran (USTO-MB), Oran 31000, Algeria
Ana Barrera
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Jean-Noël Staelens
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Jean-François Tahon
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Michael Ziskind
Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules (PhlAM), UMR 8523, CNRS, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Yvain Carpentier
Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules (PhlAM), UMR 8523, CNRS, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Cristian Focsa
Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules (PhlAM), UMR 8523, CNRS, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Philippe Supiot
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Corinne Foissac
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Ulrich Maschke
Unité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, CNRS, INRAE, Université de Lille, 59000 Lille, France
Electron Beam (EB) irradiation was utilized to decontaminate model systems of industrial polymers that contain a brominated flame retardant (BFR). Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate (PC) are two types of polymers commonly found in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). In this study, these polymers were exposed to EB irradiation to degrade DecaBromoDiphenylEther (DBDE), one of the most toxic BFRs. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis demonstrated an 87% degradation rate of DBDE for the ABS-DBDE system and 91% for the PC-DBDE system following an 1800 kGy irradiation dose. Thermal analysis using Differential Scanning Calorimetry revealed the presence of crosslinking in ABS and a minor reduction in the glass transition temperature of PC after EB processing. Polymers exhibited thermal stability after photolysis, as indicated by thermogravimetric analysis. In summary, EB irradiation had no impact on the overall thermal properties of both polymers. High-resolution mass spectrometry analysis has confirmed the debromination of both ABS-DBDE and PC-DBDE systems. Therefore, the results obtained are promising and could offer an alternative approach for removing bromine and other additives from plastic E-waste.
