Investigation of the influence of inert and oxidizing atmospheres on the efficiency of decomposition of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs)

Abstract

Thermo-gravimetry was used for studying the influence of the furnace atmosphere during the pyrolysis waste circuit boards (WPCBs). Pyrolysis in argon atmosphere resulted in a continuous decrease of mass of the sample. Rapid mass loss occurred at about 573 K. Heating the WPCBs in air and oxygen atmospheres resulted in an increase in the mass of the sample in the early stages until rapid mass loss occurred at about 573 K. When pyrolysis of larger sample mass (about 5 g each) was carried out in tubular furnace, about 20.43 % mass loss was observed during the pyrolysis of WPCBs in a flowing stream of argon at 548 K during a period of 4 min. On the other hand, a maximum of about 2.26 % mass loss was recorded when the WPCBs were heated at about 600 K for the same time interval in the still air. The mass transfer during the pyrolysis of WPCBs in flowing stream of inert gas was also modeled. It is found that controlling the flow rate of inert gas and the geometry of the equipment can enhance the rate of mass loss significantly. Keywords