Processing waste printed circuit boards for material recovery

PurposeThe authors aim to investigate the use of pyrolysis for the processing of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The aim was to make the process of separating the organic, metallic, and glass fibre fractions of PCBs much easier and therefore make recycling of each PCB fraction more viable.Design/methodology/approachThe PCBs were pyrolysed in a fixed bed reactor at 850°C. The organic fraction released by the boards was analysed by a variety of gas chromatography techniques. The residue that remained after pyrolysis was analysed by ICP‐MS to determine the type of metals that were present.FindingsWhen PCBs were heated to 800°C in an oxygen free atmosphere, the organic fraction decomposed to form volatile oils and gases leaving behind the metal and glass fibre fraction of the boards. The pyrolysed boards were very friable and the different fractions (metal components, copper power boards, glass fibre, etc.) could be easily separated. The recovered metals could then be recycled by traditional routes with particular emphasis being placed on the recovery and recycling of rare and precious metals. The organic oils and gases which are produced during pyrolysis of PCBs can either be used as a chemical feedstock or as a fuel.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was only carried out on a very small scale so an investigation into scale‐up must be performed.Practical implicationsBy using pyrolysis, the organic and metallic fraction of PCBs can be separated and recycled.Originality/valueThis paper presents a novel method for resource recovery from PCBs.