Treatment of waste printed circuit board by green solvent using ionic liquid

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) Vol. 32; no. 10; pp. 1914 - 1918
• Main Authors: Zhu, P., Chen, Y., Wang, L.Y., Zhou, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; bromine; Bromine Compounds - chemistry; Bromine epoxy resin; Copper foil; delamination; Dissolving; Electronic Waste; epoxides; Epoxy Resins - chemistry; Exact sciences and technology; General treatment and storage processes; glass fibers; Imidazoles - chemistry; ionic liquids; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; Pollution; Recycling; resins; temperature; Waste printed circuit board; waste treatment; Wastes; Waste printed circuit board; Copper foil; Dissolving; Bromine epoxy resin; Pollution; Recycling; Glass fiber; Waste treatment
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.05.025

► Recycling waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) by ionic liquid (IL). ► The epoxy resins of WPCBs are slightly dissolved to produce initial delamination at 240°C. ► The epoxy resins of WPCBs are removed by [EMIM+][BF4-] at 260°C. Recycling of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) is an important subject not only for the protection of environment but also for the recovery of valuable materials. A feasibility study was conducted to dissolve bromine epoxy resins of WPCBs using ionic liquid (IL) of 1-ethyl-3-methylimizadolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM+][BF4-] (nonaqueous green solvent) for recovering copper foils and glass fibers. Experimental results indicated that the initial delamination had seen from the cross-section of the WPCBs by mean of metallographic microscope and digital camera when WPCBs were heated in [EMIM+][BF4-] at 240°C for a duration of 30min. When temperature was increased to 260°C for a duration of 10min, the bromine epoxy resins of WPCBs were throughout dissolved into [EMIM+][BF4-] and the separations of copper foils and glass fibers from WPCBs were completed. This clean and non-polluting technology offers a new way to recycle valuable materials from WPCBs and prevent the environmental pollution of WPCBs effectively.