Pyrolysis behaviour and combustion kinetics of waste printed circuit boards

Kang Yan; Chongwei Liu; Liping Liu; Min Xiong; Jiongtong Chen; Zhongtang Zhang; Shuiping Zhong; Zhifeng Xu; Jindi Huang

doi:10.1007/s12613-021-2299-x

Volume 29 Issue 9

Sep. 2022

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2022 > 29(9): 1722-1732

Kang Yan, Chongwei Liu, Liping Liu, Min Xiong, Jiongtong Chen, Zhongtang Zhang, Shuiping Zhong, Zhifeng Xu, and Jindi Huang, Pyrolysis behaviour and combustion kinetics of waste printed circuit boards, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 9, pp. 1722-1732. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2299-x

Cite this article as:

Kang Yan, Chongwei Liu, Liping Liu, Min Xiong, Jiongtong Chen, Zhongtang Zhang, Shuiping Zhong, Zhifeng Xu, and Jindi Huang, Pyrolysis behaviour and combustion kinetics of waste printed circuit boards, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 29(2022), No. 9, pp. 1722-1732. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-021-2299-x

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Research Article

Pyrolysis behaviour and combustion kinetics of waste printed circuit boards

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding authors:
Zhifeng Xu E-mail: xzf_1@163.com

Jindi Huang E-mail: hjd041@163.com
Received: 1 March 2021; Revised: 28 April 2021; Accepted: 29 April 2021; Available online: 30 April 2021

Abstract

Abstract

The effective recycling of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) can conserve resources and reduce environmental pollution. This study explores the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of WPCBs in various atmospheres through thermogravimetric and Gaussian fitting analyses. Furthermore, this study analyses the pyrolysis products and combustion processes of WPCBs through thermogravimetric and Fourier transform infrared analyses (TG–FTIR) and thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry (TG–MS). Results show that the pyrolysis and combustion processes of WPCBs do not constitute a single reaction, but rather an overlap of multiple reactions. The pyrolysis and combustion process of WPCBs is divided into multiple reactions by Gaussian peak fitting. The kinetic parameters of each reaction are obtained by the Coats–Redfern method. In an argon atmosphere, pyrolysis consists of the overlap of the preliminary pyrolysis of epoxy resin, pyrolysis of small organic molecules, and pyrolysis of brominated flame retardants. The thermal decomposition process in the O₂ atmosphere is mainly divided into two reactions: brominated flame retardant combustion and epoxy combustion. This study provided the theoretical basis for pollution control, process optimization, and reactor design of WPCBs pyrolysis.
- waste printed circuit board;
- pyrolysis mechanism;
- combustion;
- Gauss;
- peak fitting

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