Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers (ABS): Pyrolysis and Combustion Products and Their Toxicity--A Review of the Literature.
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymers (ABS):
Pyrolysis and Combustion Products and Their Toxicity--A
Review of the Literature.
(10356 K)
Rutkowski, J. V.; Levin, B. C.
NBSIR 85-3248; 59 p. December 1985.
Fire and Materials, Vol. 10, No. 3-4, 93-105,
September-December 1986.
Sponsor:
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB86-153772
Keywords:
ABS plastics; carbon monoxide; combustion products;
hydrogen cyanide; literature reviews; thermal
decomposition; toxicity; thermal degradation
Abstract:
A review of the literature was undertaken to ascertain
the current knowledge of the nature of the thermal
decomposition products generated from ABS and the
toxicity of these evolved products intoto. The
literature review encompasses English language
publications available through June 1984. This
literature surveyed showed that the principal ABS
thermooxidative degradation products of toxicologic
importance are carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.
The experimental generation of these and other volatile
products is principally dependent upon the combustion
conditions and the formulation of the plastic. The
toxicity of ABS thermal degradation products has been
evaluated by five methods. The LC50 (30 min. exposure +
14 day post exposure period) values for flaming
combustion ranged from 15.0 mg/l to 28.5 mg/l. In the
non-flaming mode of combustion, the LC50 values ranged
from 19.3 mg/l to 64.0 mg/l. Therefore, no apparent
toxicological difference exists between the flaming mode
and the non-flaming mode. The toxicity of ABS
degradation products was found to be comparable to the
toxicity of the thermal decomposition products of other
common polymeric materials.
