Removal of Metallic Particles From Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Wastes Using Electrostatic Separation Methods

Electrostatic separation techniques have been widely used in the recycling industry. The aim of this paper is to assess the possibility of employing them for the beneficiation of the newest and fastest growing category of wastes: the “end-of-life” information technology equipment. The study was performed on samples extracted from a granular acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) product obtained after the disassembling and shredding of information technology wastes. The samples that typically contained less than 0.1% metals in weight were processed in a laboratory electrostatic separator that enabled the reproduction of the two most important electrode configurations employed in the industry. The design-of-experiments methodology was employed for evaluating the effects of the various electrical and mechanical control variables on the outcome of the separation process. The reported data demonstrate that, by the appropriate adjustment of the input variables of either a plate-type electrostatic separator or a roll-type corona-electrostatic installation, it is possible to remove all the metallic particles from the ABS product, while keeping at a minimum the quantity of plastics lost in the rejected conductive fraction.