Technologists have a found a means to collect electronic waste and extract the necessary materials that can be used to create a protective, tough outer coating for different types of metals. Researchers from UNSW Sydney have found a use for old printed circuit boards. This is to convert them, along with unwanted monitor components, to fabricate a new type of super-strong metal coating. This represents an innovative way to recycle redundant electronics, reducing the burden on landfill.
Discarded electronics cannot be readily re-used of transformed into new electronic devices. This is because so-termed “e-waste” is composed of small amounts of a variety of different materials, and these constituent materials cannot be easily separated. This means instead of reusing old circuit board a different use was needed in order to lower the environmental impact.
To this end, Australian scientists have undertaken a small-scale pilot microrecycling project. Here, as a proof-of-concept study, the scientists have succeeded in transforming old printed circuit boards and monitor components into a new type of very-strong metal coating. The research has been published in the journal ACS Omega. The research paper is: “Material Microsurgery: Selective Synthesis of Materials via High-Temperature Chemistry for Microrecycling of Electronic Waste.”
Source: Digital Journal
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