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Improving sustainable recovery of metals from waste printed circuit boards by the primary copper smelter process

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Abstract

In this paper, utilizing the existing primary copper smelter process for the recovery of metals from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) is proposed as an alternative to the current backyard operations in developing countries. The Model for Evaluating Metal Recycling Efficiency from Complex Scraps (MEMRECS) concept is introduced as a tool for the evaluation of the eco-efficiency of metals recovery from waste PCBs. Based on the MEMRECS approach, the relative contribution of every metal fraction to the recyclability of the whole product is estimated. Thereby, gold content is identified as a key factor strongly influencing the efficiency of metals recovery from waste PCBs. Furthermore, it could be used as an indicator for the categorization of waste PCBs before feeding them into the recycling process. Finally, an integrated process is proposed to optimize the eco-efficiency of metals recovery from waste PCBs in developing countries.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by an “Energy Science in the Age of Global Warming” Global Center of Excellence (G-COE) program (J-051) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Hoang-Long Le, Eiji Yamasue, Hideyuki Okumura & Keiichi N. Ishihara

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  1. Hoang-Long Le
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  2. Eiji Yamasue
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  3. Hideyuki Okumura
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  4. Keiichi N. Ishihara
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Correspondence to Hoang-Long Le.

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Le, HL., Yamasue, E., Okumura, H. et al. Improving sustainable recovery of metals from waste printed circuit boards by the primary copper smelter process. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 16, 298–305 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-013-0189-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-013-0189-7

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