what classification of plastic is ABS plastic? can it be recycled?
*Plastics, depending on their physical properties, may be classified as thermoplastic or thermosetting materials. Thermoplastic materials can be formed into desired shapes under heat and pressure and become solids on cooling. If they are subjected to the same conditions of heat and pressure, they can be remolded. Thermosetting materials acquire infallibility under heat and pressure and cannot be remolded. *Plastics may be classified also according to their chemical sources. The twenty or more known basic types fall into four general groups: -Cellulose Plastics -Synthetic Resin Plastics: -Protein Plastics. -Natural Resins *Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) (chemical formula (C8H8)x· (C4H6)y·(C3H3N)z)[all numbers and x,y,z are in sub-script] is a common thermoplastic. So, by definition , ABS can be re-cycled.
There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers. Thermoplastics are the plastics that do not undergo chemical change in their composition when heated and can be molded again and again. Examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride. Common thermoplastics range from 20,000 to 500,000 amu, while thermosets are assumed to have infinite molecular weight. These chains are made up of many repeating molecular units, known as repeat units, derived from monomers; each polymer chain will have several thousand repeating units. Thermosets can melt and take shape once; after they have solidified, they stay solid. In the thermosetting process, a chemical reaction occurs that is irreversible. The vulcanization of rubber is a thermosetting process. Before heating with sulfur, the polyisoprene is a tacky, slightly runny material, but after vulcanization the product is rigid and non-tacky.
ABS stands for acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene. It is a terpolymer, ie, one made with three monomers. It is an addition polymer, one which is polymerized by opening double bonds [as opposed to a condensation polymer like nylon or polyester, where small molecules are broken out]. ABS is a linear thermoplastic. It is quite tough, because it has both rubbery and glassy segments. I see no reason it could not be recycled, though there could be problems with getting enough of it together to be economic. Polyethylene is made in such huge quantities that gathering enough of it to recycle is economically feasible.
ABS is a thermo-softening plastic meaning it can melt when heat is applied. Because of that feature it can be easily recycled although exact colour and finish are generally lost in the recycle process so a less critical secondary purpose is used. For example ABS is used to make LEGO bricks and copper connected telephone cases. If it's recycled then it can be used for plastic enclosures used house electrical and electronic equipment in an industrial setting.
