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Optimization of metal bio-acid leaching from mobile phone printed circuit boards using natural organic acids and H2O2

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Abstract

With increased popularity and technological innovation, more and more electric and electronic equipment wastes (e-wastes) are being generated. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) as fundamental components of electronic wastes, consist of both precious and heavy metals. In this research, the simultaneous extraction Cu and Zn from PCBs used in mobile phones with a natural organic acid and H2O2 was examined. The organic acid was determined from agricultural lemon fruit. The leaching extraction factors investigated include lemon juice concentration, solid/liquid (S/L) ratio, and H2O2 concentration. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the extraction which resulted in the maximum recoveries of 89% Cu and 73% Zn at 1.41% (w/v) S/L ratio, 12.2% (v/v) H2O2, and 74% (v/v) lemon juice after 4 h at 20 °C. The effect of time on the Cu and Zn recoveries at the determined optimum condition was examined. Furthermore, a kinetic study based on a shrinking core model was performed and the result showed that mass diffusion was rate-limiting in the extraction.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

C.I.:

Confidence interval

CCD:

Central composite design

E-wastes:

Electronic wastes

FE-SEM:

Field emission scanning electron microscopes

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer

PCBs:

Printed circuit boards

RSM:

Response surface methodology

S/L ratio:

Solid/liquid ratio

S/N:

Signal to noise

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

    Rozhin Ozairy, Seyed Omid Rastegar & Reza Beigzadeh

  2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

    Tingyue Gu

Authors
  1. Rozhin Ozairy
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  2. Seyed Omid Rastegar
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  3. Reza Beigzadeh
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  4. Tingyue Gu
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Correspondence to Seyed Omid Rastegar.

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Ozairy, R., Rastegar, S.O., Beigzadeh, R. et al. Optimization of metal bio-acid leaching from mobile phone printed circuit boards using natural organic acids and H2O2. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 24, 179–188 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-021-01302-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-021-01302-8

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