Characterization of different types of electronic waste: heavy metal, precious metal and rare earth element content by c
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Characterization of different types of electronic waste: heavy metal, precious metal and rare earth element content by comparing different digestıon methods Merve Tunali1 · Mehmet Meric Tunali1 · Orhan Yenigun1 Received: 16 June 2020 / Accepted: 31 August 2020 © Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. The content of this waste has critical importance for the development or adoption of new recycling techniques and safe waste management practices. In this study, printed circuit boards and screens of three different types of electronic wastes, such as old mobile phones, smartphones, and laptops were characterized for their heavy metal, precious metal, and rare earth element contents. Three different digestion methods were applied to the samples prior to ICP-OES analysis. Results showed that Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Al were found to be the main heavy metals in all samples. Nd, Ag, and Au were found as the major precious metals, followed by Pt, La, Dy, Pr, and Ce in the rare earth element category. The contents indicated that there is an urgent need to develop recycling techniques for the recovery of these valuable materials. When the digestion methods were compared to each other, it was found that different methods performed better on different types of metals. U.S.EPA.3050B is advised for Nd, Pd, Pr, Ag, Dy, Pt, Mn, Ce, Cd, Cr, Co, Al, Pb, while U.S.EPA.3051A performed better for Au, Mo, Zn, Cu, and Ni, and MMDM for La. Graphic abstract
Printed circuit board
Laptop
Smart Phone
Mobile Phone Screen
Printed circuit board
EPA 3052
MMDM
Screen
Printed circuit board
Screen
EPA 3051a
ICP-OES Analysis
Base metals
Precious metals
Rare earth elements
(Cu, Fe, Ni, Al, Zn, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Mo, Cd, No, Ag, Au, Pr, Dy, Pd, Pt, La, Ce)
Extended author information available on the last page of the article
13
Vol.:(0123456789)
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management
Keywords e-waste · Characterization · Acid digestion · Metal · Rare earth elements · Neodymium
Introduction
Materials and methods
The amount of electronic waste (e-waste) generation is estimated to be 49.8 million metric tons/year globally [1]. In addition, the e-waste stream is one of the fastest-growing waste streams by 8% per year [2], and managing e-waste stream efficiently has become a global issue [3]. E-waste contains both hazardous substances [4–8] and valuable materials [7–11], therefore, the characterization of e-waste is a key aspect for applying appropriate management practices in the context of pollution prevention and resource conservation. Moreover, the development of technology significantly reduces resource depletion potentials [12] which further adds value to the closed-loop management options. Analytical instruments and techniques have widely been used to determine element contents. The most widely used methods refer to flame or electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP)
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