Recycling of Chrome Plated ABS Parts Pickled with Nitric Acid Free Solution

One of the barriers to the recycling of chrome plated acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) is the degradation caused by the solution containing nitric acid used in the pickling of the metal layer. In this study, defective chrome plated ABS parts were pickled in a solution composed of lactic and sulfuric acids and hydrogen peroxide, and recycled by injection molding with different proportions of virgin ABS. The influence of pickled ABS on the chemical composition, thermal and mechanical properties of the samples was evaluated. The samples were chrome plated and characterized by visual inspection and adhesion tests. A slight yellowing of the virgin ABS/pickled ABS samples was observed due to the degradation of butadiene component. The thermal and mechanical properties were similar to those of virgin ABS. After the new chrome plating, all samples were approved in the adhesion tests, demonstrating that pickled ABS can be recycled by injection molding and chrome plating.