Co-processing of printed circuit board (PCB) leach solutions with effluent streams from PCB manufacturing
Grant holder: Prof J Petersen
Institution: University of Cape Town
Grant: CSIR/BEI/WRIU/2019/026
Duration: 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2023
Status: Open
Project outline: The aim of this project is to explore the core process steps for the leaching and recovery of PCBs at both the laboratory and the pilot scale. The project will test recovery technologies of metal from leach solutions and report optimal operating conditions within the context of the study. The pilot study will focus on treating reject PCBs from a manufacturing plant using waste etching solutions and process technology available at the plant. From the insights at bench and pilot scale an integrated waste recovery process will be developed that will follow the principles of industrial symbiosis. Furthermore, the developed process should be a good fit for operation at the local scale with input of the local e-waste stream, i.e. it should not be capital and energy intensive, and be scalable and environmentally friendly.