Determination of Metal Composition in Waste Printed Circuit Boards.

Abstract

Among the most critical components of e-waste are waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs), which contain valuable but potentially hazardous metals such as copper, nickel, gold, and iron. This study investigates the metal composition of WPCBs sourced from a local Malaysian e-waste facility. The metallic fraction of the PCBs was separated, digested using concentrated hydrochloric acid in a microwave oven digester, and analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The analysis revealed the presence of 43.60% copper, 2.56% nickel, 0.001% gold, and 0.001% iron. These values, though lower than some previously reported data, highlight the potential of WPCBs as a source of metal recovery. Variations in metal yield may be attributed to incomplete digestion and the presence of adhesive residues on the metallic parts. The study underscores the importance of efficient processing methods to optimize metal recovery from e-waste and reduce environmental impacts.