The general utilization of scrapped PC board.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional methods for recovering copper from printed circuit boards (PCBs) involve burning, which leads to significant environmental pollution.
• There is a need for sustainable and efficient processes to recycle electronic waste and recover valuable materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, environmentally friendly process for recovering copper from scrapped PCBs.
• To maximize the utilization of all materials present in waste PCBs.
• To characterize the properties of recovered materials and their applications.

Main Methods:

• Scrapped PCBs were crushed and dissolved in an ammonia/ammonium carbonate solution with aeration to recover copper.
• Copper carbonate was distilled and heated to obtain pure copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles.
• The remaining solid residue was leached with hydrochloric acid to remove tin and lead.
• The final residue was utilized as a filler in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics.

Main Results:

• Pure copper oxide with an elliptical shape and approximately 0.2 micrometer particle size was successfully obtained.
• The remaining solid residue, after copper, tin, and lead removal, was effectively used as a filler in PVC plastics.
• PVC plastics filled with this residue exhibited comparable tensile strength to unfilled plastics, along with enhanced elastic modulus and abrasion resistance, at a lower cost.

Conclusions:

• The developed process offers an environmentally sound alternative to traditional PCB recycling methods.
• This method enables the recovery of valuable copper oxide and the valorization of residual waste as a functional filler for plastics.
• The findings demonstrate the potential for a circular economy approach in electronic waste management.