Feedstock Recycling from the Printed Circuit Boards of Used Computers

Abstract

Here, we focused on the pyrolysis of printed circuit boards (PCBs) from used computers using various combined procedures of thermal and catalytic pyrolysis and dehalogenation (absorption) aiming to obtain pyrolysis oils with low amounts of heteroatoms (Br, Cl, N, and O) that might be suitable for use as fuel or feedstock. The composition of degradation oils was established by suitable methods, such as gas chromatography (GC−MSD and GC−AED), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and common methods for the analysis of petrochemical products. It has been found that catalytic cracking and dehalogenation procedures are simple and effective methods to convert PCBs into some useful products.