Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Capacity Integration in Southern Africa for Precious Metal Recycling From Printed Circuit Board
by O.O. Oluokun & I.O. Otunniyi

Abstract:
Complete recycling of precious metals in end-of-life (EOL) printed circuit boards (PCB) in electronic wastes within the Southern African Development Community is still challenged. Some level of upgrading are done on the stream before exporting assorted material fraction as a raw commodity assayed for the contents of the precious metal. Closing this resource cycle within the SADC will translate directly to an increased regional gross domestic productivity, as well as open up opportunities for a bigger resource recovery industry. These insights are advanced herein by first quantifying the precious metal values in EOL PCB resources in Southern Africa, in mass and monetary value. This gives to about 70.36 tons of precious metals/annum in the eol PCB stream, which translates to about R 11 billion per annum in isolation. Applicable technologies such as top submerged lance, converting, blast furnace, Cu Is a melt smelting, gold refinery, already existing in the region. This shows relevant smelting and refining technologies for copper, lead, nickel, gold and platinum group elements are developed in Southern Africa to extents largely comparable to what obtains in regions around the world where EOL PCB is fully exploited as a secondary resource stream. However, indicated opportunities appear more in the form of challenges currently, demanding increased industry will and research cooperation to integrate existing capacity. With the emerging industrial revolution, resources conservation and reuse will be among indices with which development of nations will be ranked. Therefore, given the well developed precious metal production from primary resources in the SADC, complete recovery of same from the complex EOL PCB stream is both an obligation and an opportunity the region must embrace and integrate capacity towards.

Keywords: End-Of-Life Printed Circuit Board, Precious Metals, Recycling, Extractive Technologies

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