From Mineral Processing to Recycling: The Case of End-of-Life Printed Circuit Boards’ Physical Processing

Abstract

The treatment of end-of-life printed circuit boards (EoL PCBs) presents a contemporary recycling challenge with significant environmental, economic and social dimensions. This reality has attracted interest in the development of sustainable treatment processes, founded on mineral processing and metallurgical processes. The present paper reviews the applications of mineral processes in the treatment of end-of-life printed circuit boards (magnetic, electromagnetic, gravity and flotation processes), highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and limitations in the processing of EoL PCBs.