Determination of the potential gold electrowinning from an ammoniacal thiosulphate solution applied to recycling of printed circuit board scraps.

The use of electrochemical techniques in the selective recovery of gold from a solution containing thiosulphate, ammonia, and copper, obtained from the leaching of printed circuit boards from mobile phones using ammoniacal thiosulphate, are shown in this work. First, cyclic voltammetry tests were performed to determine the potential of electrodeposition of gold and copper, and then, electrowinning tests at different potentials for checking the rates of recovery of these metals were performed. The results of the cyclic voltammetry show that copper deposition occurs at potentials more negative than -600 mV (Ag/AgCl), whereas the gold deposition can be performed at potentials more positives than -600 mV (Ag/AgCl). The results of electrowinning show that 99% of the gold present in solutions containing thiosulphate and copper can be selectively recovered in a potential range between -400 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) and -500 mV (vs Ag/AgCl). Furthermore, 99% of copper can be recovered in potentials more negative than -700 mV (vs Ag/AgCl).

Disassembly and characterization of liquid crystal screens.

The technology used in the manufacturing of televisions and monitors has been changing in recent years. Monitors with liquid crystal displays (LCD) emerged in the market with the aim of replacing cathode ray tube monitors. As a result, the disposal of this type of product, which is already very high, will increase. Thus, without accurate knowledge of the components and materials present in an LCD monitor, the recycling of materials, such as mercury, thermoplastic polymers, glasses, metals and precious metals amongst others, is not only performed, but allows contamination of soil, water and air with the liberation of toxic compounds present in this type of waste when disposed of improperly. Therefore, the objective of this study was to disassemble and characterize the materials in this type of waste, identify the composition, amount and form to enable, in further work, the development of recycling routes. After various tests and analyses, it was observed that an LCD display can be recycled, provided that precautions are taken. Levels of lead, fluoride and copper are above those permitted by the Brazilian law, characterizing this residue as having a high pollution potential. The materials present in printed circuit boards (base and precious metals)-thermoplastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polycarbonate and metals, such as steel and aluminum, and a layer of indium (in the internal face of the glass)-are components that make a point in terms of their potential for recycling.

Characterization and recovery of polymers from mobile phone scrap.

Electronic scrap is part of a universally wide range of obsolete, defective, or used materials that need to be disposed of or recycled in an ecologically friendly manner. The present study focused on the polymers present in mobile phone scrap. In mobile phones, polymers are found in frames and in printed circuit boards (PCBs). The frames are mainly made of polymers whereas PCBs use a variety of material (polymers, ceramics, and metals) which makes recycling more difficult. As a first step, mobile phones were collected, separated by manufacturer/model, and weighed, and the principal polymer types identified. The frames and PCBs were processed separately. The metals in PCBs were separated out by an electrostatic separation process. The resulting polymeric material was identified and mixed with the polymers of frames to fabricate the samples. Two types of samples were made: one with polymeric frames, and the other with a mixture of frames and polymeric fraction from the PCBs. Both kinds of sample were fabricated by injection moulding. The samples were evaluated by mechanical tests (tensile, impact, and hardness) to verify the feasibility of recycling the polymers present in mobile phone scrap. The results demonstrated the technical viability of recovering polymers using mechanical processing followed by an injection process.

Printed wiring boards for mobile phones: characterization and recycling of copper.

The popularization of mobile phones, combined with a technological evolution, means a large number of scrap and obsolete equipment are discarded every year, thereby causing economic losses and environmental pollution. In the present study, the printed wiring boards scrap of mobile phones were characterized in order to recycle some of the device components, using techniques of mechanical processing, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy. The use of the techniques of mechanical processing (milling, particle size classification, magnetic and electrostatic separation) was an efficient alternative to obtain a concentrated fraction (mainly iron in the magnetic fraction and copper in the conductive fraction) and another fraction containing polymers and ceramics. At the end of mechanical processing, a concentrated fraction of metals could be obtained with an average concentration of 60% copper. This concentrated fraction in metals was dissolved in aqua regia and sent to electrowinning to recover 92% of the dissolved copper. The obtained cathodes have a copper content above 95%, which demonstrates the technical feasibility of recovery of copper using the techniques of mechanical processing, hydrometallurgy and electrometallurgy.