STABILIZATION OF LEACHATE IN AGGREGATES MADE WITH PLASTIC FROM WEEE

A recycled plastic aggregate (RPA) was developed using the core-shell strategy, where the core is the plastic fraction of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and a cement matrix with stabilizing additives acts as the shell. The amount of brominated flame retardant (mainly tetrabromobisphenol-A) leached in curing water of RPAs was quantified using extraction with an organic solvent and gas chromatography methods (CG-FID). A clear relationship can be established between the characteristics of the stabilizing additive used and the amount of tetrabromobisphenol-A and bisphenol-A leached. The additive used was activated carbon, which in a manufacture scale may be provided by different suppliers with different mesoporous characteristics, which can be easily determined by the iodine number. The analysis proposed can be an effective way to determine if a particular activated carbon can be used as stabilizing additive in the production of RPAs with the developed technology.

Recycling of Spent Hydrodehalogenation Catalysts – Problems Dealing with Separation of Aluminium

Our study is focused on utilization and recycling of copper and nickel applicable for reductive degradation of tetrabromobisphenolA (TBBPA), the high use brominated flame retardant for printed circuit boards. Deactivated and/or poisoned hydrodebrominationcatalysts are produced by reductive destruction of brominated phenol (TBBPA) dissolved in alkaline aqueous solution using RaneyAl-Ni and/or Devarda´s Al-Cu-Zn alloys. Spent metallic slurry is treated with aqueous sulfuric acid to dissolve residual aluminiumand/or zinc and decanted residual metal is subsequently treated under oxidation conditions and dissolved in excess of mineralacid by co-action of oxidant. The corresponding metal salt is separated from corresponding leachates containing excess of acid byevaporation and recycling of volatile components. Obtained copper or nickel salts were used as sources of Raney type hydrodebrominationcatalysts produced for in-situ by action of NaBH4.

Brominated flame-retardant composition in firefighter bunker gear and its thermal performance analysis

Firefighting bunker gear is manufactured from flame-retardant materials, which resist ignition and delay flame spread. However, concerns have been emerging on the potential harmful effects of some flame retardants (FRs) commonly used in flame-retarding materials, particularly the brominated flame retardants. This study investigated the presence of flame retardants in bunker gear, particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their congeners in the garments, and evaluated their impact on thermal performance. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to ascertain the presence of bromine as a possible indicator for brominated flame retardants. X-ray fluorescence results indicated the presence of Br in all samples, ranging from 444 to 20,367 µg/g. Further analysis via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was done on samples. Brominated flame retardants, particularly polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane, were detected in all samples with concentrations ranging from 261.61 to 1001.77 µg/g and 0.01 to 0.07 µg/g, respectively. The cone calorimeter was used, with 50 and 75 kW/m2 heat fluxes, to investigate the impact of the brominated flame-retardant concentrations, if any, on thermal performance. New bunker garments, particularly those with lower Br and brominated flame-retardant concentrations, were observed to have higher thermal performance.