Using 100% Recycled ABS In Plastic Products
- Submitting institution
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Nottingham Trent University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 59 - 1350059
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
-
-
- Location
- -
- Brief description of type
- N/A
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month
- June
- Year
- 2015
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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B - Design Research Centre
- Proposed double-weighted
- Yes
- Double-weighted statement
- This comprehensive research involved the collection and analysis of a large body of material (literature, material substances and product components), which resulted in follow-on-funding of the primary commissioned project by British Telecom. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) was extensively analysed during the research and recycled ABS (rABS) was rigorously tested demonstrating that it can be used as a material that has positive effects on the environment (carbon and energy reductions). Furthermore, it does not compromise the aesthetic integrity nor the material performance of the finished product and adopts a circular approach to material consumption.
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- As part of British Telecom’s commitment to Circular Economy initiatives, and as a significant user of the plastic Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for their digital phones and set-top boxes, BT wished to explore how their designers and manufacturers could best use a recycled version of this material (rABS) without compromising the quality of their products.
BT manufactures 10 million of its 6500 phones alone each year; this represents 1000 tons of virgin ABS annually. Using rABS could have significant impact on end of life sustainability, offsetting landfill and enabling 100% polymer re-use. However, the cosmetic and mechanical qualities, and economic viability of rABS compared with virgin material were unknown. Although there has been steady growth in the availability of 100% recycled polymers, there is surprisingly little information in the literature on the practical limitations in using them and even less on how to design within these limitations.
This initial commission was to determine these limitations. A rigorous review of the relevant literature and technical data was undertaken and material samples were produced and tested. This identified design implications which were explored through a number of design solutions (Phase 1). BT then commissioned a second phase including a full design development exercise to determine how the limitations identified in Phase 1 could be mitigated (Phase 2). A highly detailed empirical, action research approach was adopted leading to the production of a unique and comprehensive set of design parameters (guidelines), evaluated in the form of a full production quality digital phone prototype.
The evaluations proved that rABS could be used without compromising aesthetic, functional and mechanical integrity and that manufacturing cost could also be reduced, overall significantly reducing CO2 output, offsetting landfill and reducing energy consumption with truly circular products for both BT and its international manufacturers Humax, Arcadyan, VTech and Sagemcom.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -