Recycling of waste printed circuit boards: a review of current technologies and treatment status in China.

From the use of renewable resources and environmental protection viewpoints, recycling of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) receives wide concerns as the amounts of scrap PCBs increases dramatically. However, treatment for waste PCBs is a challenge due to the fact that PCBs are diverse and complex in terms of materials and components makeup as well as the original equipment's manufacturing processes. Recycle technology for waste PCBs in China is still immature. Previous studies focused on metals recovery, but resource utilization for nonmetals and further separation of the mixed metals are relatively fewer. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a proper recycle technology for waste PCBs. In this paper, current status of waste PCBs treatment in China was introduced, and several recycle technologies were analyzed. Some advices against the existing problems during recycling process were presented. Based on circular economy concept in China and complete recycling and resource utilization for all materials, a new environmental-friendly integrated recycling process with no pollution and high efficiency for waste PCBs was provided and discussed in detail.

[1]  Li Jia,et al.  Optimization of key factors of the electrostatic separation for crushed PCB wastes using roll-type separator. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[2]  Guoying Sheng,et al.  Severe PCDD/F and PBDD/F pollution in air around an electronic waste dismantling area in China. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[3]  Mark G. Macklin,et al.  Processes of formation and distribution of Pb-, Zn-, Cd-, and Cu-bearing minerals in the Tyne Basin, Northeast England : implications for metal-contaminated river systems , 1996 .

[4]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  Application of corona discharge and electrostatic force to separate metals and nonmetals from crushed particles of waste printed circuit boards , 2007 .

[5]  Jia Li,et al.  Critical rotational speed model of the rotating roll electrode in corona electrostatic separation for recycling waste printed circuit boards. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[6]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  Movement behavior in electrostatic separation: Recycling of metal materials from waste printed circuit board , 2008 .

[7]  Bo Björkman,et al.  Combustion of plastics contained in electric and electronic scrap , 1998 .

[8]  Paul T. Williams,et al.  Separation and recovery of materials from scrap printed circuit boards , 2007 .

[9]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  A plate produced by nonmetallic materials of pulverized waste printed circuit boards. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[10]  Xiao Shi-min.  Recovery of Gold, Palladium and Silver from Waste Mobile Phone , 2005 .

[11]  Li Jia,et al.  Electrostatics of spherical metallic particles in cylinder electrostatic separators/sizers , 2006 .

[12]  Song Yong-sheng.  Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals from Waste Printed Circuit Board Scrap by Gravity Concentration , 2008 .

[13]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  Electrostatic separation for recovering metals and nonmetals from waste printed circuit board: problems and improvements. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[14]  H. L. Ehrlich,et al.  Microbes and metals , 1997, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[15]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  Phenolic molding compound filled with nonmetals of waste PCBs. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[16]  Z. Juan.  EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON PYROLYSIS CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WASTES , 2003 .

[17]  Zhenming Xu,et al.  Application of glass-nonmetals of waste printed circuit boards to produce phenolic moulding compound. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[18]  Jia Li,et al.  A model for computing the trajectories of the conducting particles from waste printed circuit boards in corona electrostatic separators. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[19]  Jiang Wu,et al.  Electrostatic separation for multi-size granule of crushed printed circuit board waste using two-roll separator. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[20]  Sun Lu.  EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON PYROLYSIS OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WASTES AND ANALYSIS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCTS , 2002 .

[21]  Jia Li,et al.  Recycle technology for recovering resources and products from waste printed circuit boards. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[22]  Xu Zhen-ming.  Pulverization Characteristics and Pulverizing of Waste Printed Circuit Boards(Printed Wiring Boards) Based on Resource Utilization , 2007 .

[23]  Rolf Widmer,et al.  Global perspectives on e-waste , 2005 .

[24]  L. Gray,et al.  Identification of estrogenic compounds emitted from the combustion of computer printed circuit boards in electronic waste. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  Jia Li,et al.  Theoretic model and computer simulation of separating mixture metal particles from waste printed circuit board by electrostatic separator. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[26]  Thomas Kelly,et al.  Obsolete computers, "gold mine", or high-tech trash? Resource recovery from recycling , 2001 .

[27]  L. S. Roman,et al.  E-scrap exportation: challenges and considerations , 2002, Conference Record 2002 IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment (Cat. No.02CH37273).

[28]  G. Frankland.  Microbes and Metals , 1895, Nature.

[29]  Lifeng Zhang,et al.  Metallurgical recovery of metals from electronic waste: a review. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[30]  T. Lehner.  E&HS aspects on metal recovery from electronic scrap , 2003, IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment, 2003..

[31]  Jun-wei Ma,et al.  [Study on recovery of copper from waste printed wiring boards by electrostatic separation]. , 2006, Huan jing ke xue= Huanjing kexue.

[32]  He Wen-zhi.  Crushing and Pneumatic Separation of Printed Circuit Board Scraps , 2007 .

[33]  Guangming Li,et al.  WEEE recovery strategies and the WEEE treatment status in China. , 2006, Journal of hazardous materials.

[34]  G. H. W. O N G,et al.  Spatial Distribution of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Soil and Combusted Residue at Guiyu , an Electronic Waste Recycling Site in Southeast China , 2022 .

[35]  Jia Li,et al.  Optimizing the operating parameters of corona electrostatic separation for recycling waste scraped printed circuit boards by computer simulation of electric field. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[36]  Jie Guo,et al.  Dynamics of spherical metallic particles in cylinder electrostatic separators/purifiers. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[37]  Francis L Martin,et al.  Exposure of electronics dismantling workers to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides in South China. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[38]  W. Sand,et al.  Bioleaching review part A: , 2003, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.