Enhancement effect of electron beam irradiation on acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymers from waste electrical and electronic equipment by adding 1,3-PBO: A potential way for waste ABS reuse

The recycling acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymers from waste electrical and electronic equipment lightens the burden on landfills and enables us to reuse waste ABS (wABS), promoting environmental sustainability and resource conservation. In this work, the effect of electron beam irradiation on the properties of wABS by adding 1,3-bis(4,5-dihydro-2-oxazolyl)benzene (1,3-PBO) has been studied. Various characterization methods including gel permeation chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical properties test, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy were conducted to investigate the change of relative molecular weight, chemical structure, mechanical properties, glass transition temperature (T g), and fracture morphology, respectively. Results demonstrated that the incorporation of 1,3-PBO combined with electron beam irradiation led to significant improvements in molecular weight, tensile strength, impact strength, and T g. Irradiated wABS-PBO reached optimal comprehensive mechanical properties with the dose at 240 kGy. However, higher electron beam irradiation (>240 kGy) significantly reduced the tensile strength due to extensive chain scission. Besides, the fracture surface morphology became coarser with the reinforced intermolecular binding force of irradiated wABS. This study establishes electron beam irradiation as a promising and effective approach for wABS recycling and reuse.