A synthesis of vitreous carbon from bromine flame retarded high impact polystyrene

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been commonly adding to plastics (e.g. high impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), blend of polycarbonate/ABS) of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) to support fire-resistance of the appliances. The reasonable presence of BFRs in the EEE makes, however, recycling of the BFRs-containing plastics from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) extremely difficult and technologically challenging. Nowadays, chemical recycling of the waste via pyrolytical transformation of troublesome BFRs-containing plastics into basic materials, is thought as most reasonable recycling solution. Considering that carbon is the main element of the plastics, the obtained carbonaceous feedstock (hydrocarbons) can be utilized as inexpensive (waste originated) sources of carbon for production of advanced value-added carbonic materials. In this study, the bromine flame retarded high impact polystyrene (Br-HIPS) is utilized for generation of porous structured vitreous carbon in consecutive pyrolytic-catalytic process.