Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents
Electronic waste (e-waste) is becoming a serious problem that impacts the environment due to its fast-growing volume. This rise is linked to high electronic and electrical equipment production to meet the increasing demand for high-end electronic devices. Conventional e-waste recycling approaches, i...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Sara Saffaj Diego Mantovani Georgios Kolliopoulos |
| author_facet | Sara Saffaj Diego Mantovani Georgios Kolliopoulos |
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| description | Electronic waste (e-waste) is becoming a serious problem that impacts the environment due to its fast-growing volume. This rise is linked to high electronic and electrical equipment production to meet the increasing demand for high-end electronic devices. Conventional e-waste recycling approaches, including hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, often involve substantial water and energy consumption and the generation of by-products, such as the emission of toxic gases or hazardous effluents. Within this context, solvometallurgy has emerged as a compelling alternative, whereby green non-toxic non-aqueous solvents, namely deep eutectic solvents (DESs), are used to extract and recover the metals with minimal water and harsh acid/base chemical use. The current study presents the solvo-leaching results of critical and strategic metals, i.e., copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), and precious metals, i.e., gold (Au), from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). Five different DESs were tested at mild conditions, namely at a temperature of 65 °C, a stirring speed of 300 rpm, a solid/liquid ratio of 10 g/L, and in the presence of iodine (I<sub>2</sub>) for 96 h. Among the different solvents tested, the one consisting of choline chloride (ChCl), acetic acid (AA), and I<sub>2</sub> emerged as the optimal solvent, leading to the selective extraction of 99% of Cu, 92% of Ni, and 90% of Au from the PCB powder. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-46ddbbb3f2ba461b840d55a5c79d6cbe |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-46ddbbb3f2ba461b840d55a5c79d6cbe2025-01-24T13:41:37ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-01-011518210.3390/met15010082Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic SolventsSara Saffaj0Diego Mantovani1Georgios Kolliopoulos2Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDepartment of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaElectronic waste (e-waste) is becoming a serious problem that impacts the environment due to its fast-growing volume. This rise is linked to high electronic and electrical equipment production to meet the increasing demand for high-end electronic devices. Conventional e-waste recycling approaches, including hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, often involve substantial water and energy consumption and the generation of by-products, such as the emission of toxic gases or hazardous effluents. Within this context, solvometallurgy has emerged as a compelling alternative, whereby green non-toxic non-aqueous solvents, namely deep eutectic solvents (DESs), are used to extract and recover the metals with minimal water and harsh acid/base chemical use. The current study presents the solvo-leaching results of critical and strategic metals, i.e., copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), and precious metals, i.e., gold (Au), from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). Five different DESs were tested at mild conditions, namely at a temperature of 65 °C, a stirring speed of 300 rpm, a solid/liquid ratio of 10 g/L, and in the presence of iodine (I<sub>2</sub>) for 96 h. Among the different solvents tested, the one consisting of choline chloride (ChCl), acetic acid (AA), and I<sub>2</sub> emerged as the optimal solvent, leading to the selective extraction of 99% of Cu, 92% of Ni, and 90% of Au from the PCB powder.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/1/82sustainablesolvometallurgyleachingprinted circuit boardsdeep eutectic solventscritical and strategic metals |
| spellingShingle | Sara Saffaj Diego Mantovani Georgios Kolliopoulos Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents Metals sustainable solvometallurgy leaching printed circuit boards deep eutectic solvents critical and strategic metals |
| title | Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents |
| title_full | Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents |
| title_short | Sustainable Leaching of Cu, Ni, and Au from Waste Printed Circuit Boards Using Choline Chloride-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents |
| title_sort | sustainable leaching of cu ni and au from waste printed circuit boards using choline chloride based deep eutectic solvents |
| topic | sustainable solvometallurgy leaching printed circuit boards deep eutectic solvents critical and strategic metals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/1/82 |
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