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Eur opean Commi ssi on

Research Directorate-General - GROWTH Programme
SME initiative offers hot prospect for recovery of
electronics waste
Although printed circuit boards include significant quantities of copper
as well as precious metals and other potentially reusable materials,
their complex nature makes recycling difficult. Yet the proposed
European Commission directive on waste from electrical and electronic
equipment will place severe restrictions on disposal methods such as
incineration and landfill. In a recently finished project funded under the
Commissions SME-oriented co-operative research programme, a group
of companies and research institutes has made substantial progress in
the development of a process that will allow the recovery of metals and
other components, without causing environmental problems.
The waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive
1
, together with
another restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic
equipment, is intended to tackle the fast increasing waste stream from an industry that
generates a growing number and variety of rapidly evolving systems and appliances.
Under the proposed laws, consumers will be able at no cost to return end-of-life
products to the producers, who will be responsible for taking back and recycling them.
This will provide incentives to design equipment in a more environmentally-efficient way,
taking waste management fully into account. The complex and variable nature of printed
circuit boards (PCBs) will nevertheless continue to make recovery of their constituent
materials one of the more problematic issues. Most PCBs comprise a glass-fibre
reinforced resin base supporting a laminated copper foil that is etched to form a circuit
pattern onto which the various electronic devices are mounted by soldering or gluing.
Filling a technology gap
At present, the available know-how for separating the disparate organic and inorganic
content of boards is limited. Disposal as scrap therefore remains the predominant practice.
However, the experience of a group of European small and medium-sized enterprises

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(SMEs) from France and Greece indicated that the inherent qualities of fluidised bed heat
treatment very homogeneous temperature distribution and a high coefficient of thermal
exchange would be well suited to this demanding application.
In a CRAFT (Co-operative Research Action for Technology) project, the SMEs therefore
joined forces with prominent research institutes to develop and demonstrate the pilot-scale
operation of a process using this technology.
The collaboration, which arose from initial discussions between Herv Hellio of Hikson,
France and Yannis Flitris of the University of Thessaly, Greece, was essentially a vertical
partnership between players with complementary interests related to different aspects of
metal recovery and the electronic product life cycle:
Prime proposer Savigny, France, a fabricator and machiner of metallic components,
contributed its knowledge of thermal treatments and automation systems, with a view
to eventual involvement in the emerging market for recycling of electronic products;
M & S Hourdakis, Greece, as a manufacturer of copper laminates, sought to recoup
value from production waste that currently incurs charges for its disposal;
Bronze, Greece saw the action as a potential answer to its constant need to acquire
supplies of high-purity copper for incorporation into its output of specialised alloys; and
Future Technology Systems, Greece, with expertise in rapid prototyping, provided
assistance in the development of equipment and process technology.
Hikson itself undertook the realisation, installation and operation of the pilot unit, which
included a computerised system to monitor functional and environmental performance.
After further testing and refinement, the company aims to market the technology and to set
up recycling plants in association with appropriate third parties.
From theory to practice
Within the timeframe of the 37-month initiative, the partners focused on the reclamation of
copper from laminate scrap, rather than from used PCBs carrying a full complement of
components. This was a logical starting point, as the composition of the virgin laminates is
relatively simple. Moreover, the volume of offcut material arising from board manufacture
is estimated at 8% to 10% of the total production. Amounting to many thousands of tonnes

1
Proposed directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment and on the restriction of the use of certain
hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (COM (2000) 347)

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per year, with an average copper content of approximately 30%, this in itself represents a
major source of recoverable material.
The first phase of the project was a feasibility study, during which the RTD providers
CNRS-IMP (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Institut de Science et Gnie des
Matriaux et Procds) in France and the University of Thessaly undertook a theoretical
determination of the optimal parameters for fluidised bed processing.
Based on their findings, the team went on to build a purpose-designed system with the
capacity for treatment of laminate scrap at a rate of 1 to 2 kg/min. Known as the
Rotofluid, this is an oven containing a rotating track upon which some 800 kg of heated
sand is constantly circulated.
Hopper-fed scrap is immediately buried in the sand, where it is subjected to instant
thermal shock in the absence of air. As a result, the resin content of the laminate is
partially carbonised, and its adhesive link to the copper foil broken. The metal can thus be
separated and recovered, still retaining its original more than 99.9% purity.
An added advantage of the continuous Rotofluid process is that the volume of scrap being
treated at any one time is limited and controllable. This simplifies the elimination of
undesirable gaseous effluents in a post-combustion scrubber.
Work continues
Since the completion of the project in December 2001, trials have continued at Hikson as a
prelude to ramping up to industrial scale. With more development, it would also be feasible
to reclaim the glass-fibre for subsequent re-use and to explore further options for the
recycling of fully equipped boards.
The current performance of our process certainly indicates that it will be adaptable to
more complex electronics waste, confirms Herv Hellio. We should be able to reclaim
precious metals and other valuable constituents, while continuing to respect the
increasingly tough environmental regulations. This will help Europe to achieve its goal of
sustainable development and the setting up of recycling centres in the various Member
States would create a useful source of added employment.

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Contact:
Herv Hellio
Hikson SA
12 rue du Stand, BP 43
F-10700 Arcis sur Aube
France
Phone: +33 3 25 37 02 37
Fax: +33 3 25 37 07 08
E-mail: hikson@aol.com
Other partners:
Bronze, Greece
CNRS-IMP, France
Future Technology Systems, Greece
M & S Hourdakis, Greece
Savigny, France
University of Thessaly, Greece