Development of a physical separation route for the concentration of base metals from old wasted printed circuit boards

Abstract

Wastes from old electronic devices represent a significant part of the electronic scrap generated in developing countries, being commonly sold by collectors as low-value material to recycling hubs abroad. Upgrading the quality of this waste type could drive the revenue of recyclers, and thus, boost the recycling market. On this basis, this study investigated the possibility of concentrating metals from old wasted printed circuit boards through a physical separation-based route. Preparation of samples comprised fragmentation, size classification, density, and magnetic separation steps, followed by chemical and macro composition analysis. Cu, Al, Fe, and Sn constituted the major metals encountered in the scraps, including some peak concentrations of Zn, Sb, Pb, Ba, and Mn. Four distinct concentrate products could be obtained after suitable processing: (a) a light fraction composed of plastics and resins; (b) an aluminum concentrate; (c) a magnetic material concentrate, containing mainly iron; (d) a final concentrate containing more than 50% in mass of copper and enriched with nonferrous metals. Preliminary evidence showed that further processes, like the separation of copper wires through drumming, can potentially improve the effectiveness of the proposed processing circuit and should guide future works.