Recovery of valuable metals from WPCB fines by centrifugal gravity separation and froth flotation

This paper reports physical and physicochemical routes for the recycling of gold, silver, and copper from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs). The results of optical micrographs indicated that the metals and waste matrix are substantially separated from the slot after the comminution process. The e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of material cycles and waste management 2022, Vol.24 (1), p.224-236
Main Authors: Dinç, Nazlım İlkyaz, Tosun, Alper Umut, Baştürkcü, Esra, Özer, Mustafa, Burat, Fırat
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Centrifugal force
Circuit boards
Civil Engineering
Comminution
Copper
Density
Engineering
Environmental Management
Fines
Flotation
Fluidization
Fluidizing
Foams
Gold
Gravity
Gravity separation
Heavy metals
Hydrophobicity
Materials recovery
Metal concentrations
Methyl isobutyl carbinol
Mineral processing
Original Article
Particle size
pH effects
Photomicrographs
Plastic foam
Plastics
Precious metals
Printed circuit boards
Separators
Silver
Waste Management/Waste Technology
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Summary:This paper reports physical and physicochemical routes for the recycling of gold, silver, and copper from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs). The results of optical micrographs indicated that the metals and waste matrix are substantially separated from the slot after the comminution process. The effects of various operational factors, including gravitational force and fluidization water, of centrifugal separators on the separation performance of WPCB fines were experimentally studied. A heavy fraction assaying 363 g/t Au, 381 g/t Ag, and 40.1% Cu was obtained with the recovery of 95.6%, 81.7%, and 96.0%, respectively, using the Knelson concentrator. Different operational factors, the pH value of pulp and the particle size, on the flotation performance of WPCBs powder were examined. The production of stable foams resulted from the natural hydrophobic response of plastics and a sunken product with 472 g/t Au, 537 g/t Ag, and 52.7% Cu was successfully produced with the recovery of 93.4% Au, 84.3% Ag, and 95.8% Cu at natural pH using 50 g/t methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) as the frother. In general, the concentration of valuable metals from WPCB fines was provided using a simple and eco-friendly enrichment technique before the final chemical process.
ISSN:1438-4957
1611-8227
DOI:10.1007/s10163-021-01310-8