Abstract
In this paper, we have analyzed parts of printed circuit board (PCB) and liquid crystal display (LCD) screens of mobile phones and computers, quantitative and qualitative chemical compositions of individual components, and complete PCBs were determined. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods were used to determine the temperatures of phase transformations, whereas qualitative and quantitative compositions of the samples were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analyses. The microstructure of samples was studied by optical microscopy. Based on results of the analysis, a procedure for recycling PCBs is proposed. The emphasis was on the effects that can be achieved in the recycling process by extraction of some parts before the melting process. In addition, newly developed materials can be an adequate substitute for some of the dangerous and harmful materials, such as lead and arsenic are proposed, which is in accordance with the European Union (EU) Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances (RoHS) directive as well as some alternative materials for use in the electronics industry instead of gold and gold alloys.
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Acknowledgments
This research is conducted as a part of project no. III 43007 Global Climate Change Impact the Environment: Adaptation, Mitigation; and no. TR 37016 Lead and zinc production impact on the Environment. This study is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological development of the Republic of Serbia.
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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Research highlights
This paper is a contribution to the environment because:
• From discarded materials can be obtained a new, environmentally, substitutions materials and ceramic materials;
• Are proposed newly developed materials that can be an adequate substitute for different dangerous, harmful and precious metals are proposed;
• Alloys of the Au-Cu-Sb system represent suitable and technologically acceptable materials for use in the electronics industry as a potential replacement for pure gold;
• The great similarity of GaAs with GaSb and Zn-diffused in n-doped GaSb substrates, qualify these systems as an adequate substitute for a GaAs material in LCDs;
By changing the contents of constituent elements, we can influence the properties and behavior of alloys.
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Dervišević, I., Minić, D., Kamberović, Ž. et al. Characterization of PCBs from computers and mobile phones, and the proposal of newly developed materials for substitution of gold, lead and arsenic. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 4278–4292 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1448-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1448-1