Novel Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Terpolymer (ABS) from Waste Computer Equipment and Nitrile Rubber

Abstract

Abstract Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS) is one of the engineering plastics most frequently used as outer casings for computer equipment such as monitors, keyboards and other similar components. In an attempt to recycle, blends of scrap computer plastics (SCP) based on ABS with nitrile rubber (NBR) were prepared and mechanical properties and morphology were studied. Effect of dynamic vulcanization on the properties of 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20 NBR/SCP blends was assessed. These blends show the thermoplastic elastomeric behavior. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) studies show that the dynamically vulcanized NBR particles are dispersed in the ABS matrix. The thermoplastic elastomeric blends show excellent swelling resistance in IRM # 93 oil.