1 of 1

Abstract

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  • Integrated approach for e-waste recycling is developed
  • Supercritical acetone has potential to convert plastic of e-waste to value added products
  • Liquid product (oil) with more than 85% yield was obtained
  • Acetic acid has the potential to recover metals from waste electronics.
  • More than 90% of base metals such as Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb were recovered.
  • Near to zero waste technology.

​

Centre for Rural Development and Technology / Department of Chemical Eng.

​

​

  • This process contributes towards complete e-waste utilization using greener solvents with minimal discharge and convenient approach for e-waste treatment and recycling.
  • In addition, this technology will enable reuse of heavy and precious metals, thereby reducing overall mining cost.
  • Moreover, this technology will enable industries to meet their energy demands in house via utilization of produced products.
  • The present process provides a sustainable solution for the sound management of e-waste with added advantage of wealth generation.

An Eco-friendly Integrated Technology

for the Treatment of waste electronics

Amrita Preetam, S. N. Naik*, K. K. Pant*, Vivek Kumar*

Industry Day Theme # EECC

E-waste Composition

  • Global consumption of electronic waste (e-waste) increased by 2.5 MMt.
  • In 2019, the world generated 53.6 MMt of e-waste, an average of 7.3 kg per capita.
  • Only 17.4 % of e-waste produced is being recycled every year
  • E-Waste Contains High Levels of Precious Metals
  • E-Waste Contains Toxic Substances
  • Green Job Creation

Materials and Methods

​

​

​

  • V. Gopikrishnan, A. Vignesh, M. Radhakrishnan, J. Joseph, T. Shanmugasundaram, M. Doble, R. Balagurunathan, Microbial Leaching of Heavy Metals from E-Waste: Opportunities and Challenges, in: Biovalorisation Wastes to Renew. Chem. Biofuels, Elsevier, 2020: pp. 189–216.
  • V. Forti, R. Kuehr, The Global E-waste Monitor 2020, 2020. b9817951-2.00010-9://ewastemonitor.info/.
  • Preetam A., Jadhao P. R., Naik S. N., Pant K. K., Kumar V., “Supercritical Fluid Technology – An Eco-friendly Approach for Resource Recovery from E-waste and Plastic waste: A Review”, Separation and Purification Technology, 304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122314
  • Preetam A., Modak A., Jadhao P. R., Naik S. N., Pant K. K., Kumar V., “A Comprehensive Study on the Extraction of Transition Metals from Waste Random Access Memory using Acetic acid as a Chelating Solvent”, Journal of Envir. Chem. Engg. , 10(6), 108761.https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JECE.2022.108761
  • Preetam A., Mishra S., Naik S. N., Pant K. K., Kumar V., ”A Sustainable Approach for Material and Metal Recovery from E-waste using Subcritical to Supercritical Methanol”, Waste Manag. 145 (2022) 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WASMAN.2022.04.011

​

Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India for providing a research grant under DRIIV. The authors also thank IIT Delhi for providing funds and research facilities in CRF, IIT Delhi.

Introduction

Conclusion

Industrial Significance

Acknowledgement

References

  • Entire plastic and waste RAM from waste computer was taken as feed.
  • Plastic component was converted into oil by using supercritical fluid technology using solvent acetone.
  • Metal component from waste RAM was recovered by dissolution of metals using Acetic acid as eco-friendly leaching agent.
  • Parameters such as temperature, concentration, solid: liquid ratio, time, agitation speed was varied to optimise both the processes.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Major elements present in waste RAM

Metal dissolution

Element

Cu

Pb

Zn

Ni

Ag

Au

WRAM (wt. %)

21.7+3.35

0.5+0.26

0.18+0.05

0.62+0.07

0.12+0.03

0.09+0.003

Selective recovery of Cu

1.2 M of acetic acid conc., 10% of H2O2 55°C, 1:20 S/L ratio, 350 rpm, and 5 h

(b) Metal recovery

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Result

Liquid product(oil)

Polymer

Composition

Polycarbonates (PC)

40%

Polycarbonates /Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PC/ABS)

40%

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)

15%

Others

5%

Feed characterisation

TGA analysis of e-plastic

FTIR analysis of e-plastic

GC-MS major products

Temperature =250°C, Time=120 min, S/L= 0.05 g/ml

RSM CCD approach:

(a) E-Plastic into oil

  • Electronic waste (e-waste) is fastest growing waste stream with annual growth rate of 3-5%.
  • We are developing sustainable technologies with zero discharge for efficient conversion of e-waste into oil followed by recovery of different metals for further reuse.
  • Supercritical fluid technology of e-waste is carried out for the recovery of metal and conversion of e-waste plastic into oil(chemicals).
  • More than 90 wt.% Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn is extracted from using acetic acid as a chelating solvent..
  • Around, 93 wt.% selective Cu is recovered using electrodeposition method.