Scaling up dissolution-based recycling to eliminate brominated flame retardants from WEEE plastics

IF 7.1 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Waste management Pub Date : 2025-08-28 DOI:10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115076

S. Wagner , L. Strobl , T. Bielmeier , M. Schlummer

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The significant challenges of recycling plastics from electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE) comprise the mixture of different plastics and their content of brominated flame retardant (BFR). Current recycling techniques are insufficient in removing BFRs, leading to high rejects and incineration of valuable resources. In this study, it is shown that de-pollution by a dissolution-based recycling technique (DBR) is feasible with presorted flame-retarded (FR) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS-FR) and polystyrene (PS-FR) fractions from WEEE. This was demonstrated at a technical scale of five kg/d with shredded samples, originating from different European sources, characterized by a PS share of > 95 % and an ABS share of > 70 %, as well as bromine concentrations of 12,000 ppm and 33,000 ppm, respectively. Besides novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) above legal thresholds have been detected. After successive extraction by dissolution-based recycling, restricted BFRs have been effectively eliminated to < 500 ppm, ensuring their legal compliance. This achievement underscores the regulatory compliance of the DBR process. The DBR process can be part of a cascade for the treatment of WEEE plastics that includes both spectroscopic pre-sorting and chemical recycling of the side streams. With the interconnection of existing techniques, a far-reaching circulation of EEE plastics is possible.

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扩大基于溶解的回收，以消除WEEE塑料中的溴化阻燃剂

从电气和电子设备废物（WEEE）中回收塑料的重大挑战包括不同塑料的混合物及其溴化阻燃剂（BFR）的含量。目前的回收技术不足以去除生物燃料堆，导致高废品率和焚烧宝贵资源。本研究表明，采用基于溶解的回收技术（DBR）对报废电子电气设备中的阻燃（FR）丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯（ABS-FR）和聚苯乙烯（PS-FR）馏分进行净化是可行的。这在5公斤/天的技术规模上得到了证明，粉碎的样品来自不同的欧洲来源，其特点是PS份额为95%，ABS份额为70%，溴浓度分别为12,000 ppm和33,000 ppm。除新型溴化阻燃剂外，还检测到四溴双酚A （TBBPA）和十溴联苯醚（decaBDE）超标。通过溶解液循环法的连续萃取，限制性bfr已被有效地消除至500 ppm，确保其合法合规。这一成就强调了DBR进程的法规遵从性。DBR工艺可以作为处理WEEE塑料的级联处理的一部分，包括光谱预分类和侧流的化学回收。随着现有技术的互联互通，EEE塑料的广泛流通是可能的。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Waste management 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

15.60

自引率

6.20%

发文量

492

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Waste Management is devoted to the presentation and discussion of information on solid wastes,it covers the entire lifecycle of solid. wastes. Scope: Addresses solid wastes in both industrialized and economically developing countries Covers various types of solid wastes, including: Municipal (e.g., residential, institutional, commercial, light industrial) Agricultural Special (e.g., C and D, healthcare, household hazardous wastes, sewage sludge)