Advances in E-Waste Recycling: Physical and Chemical Treatment Methods

Abstract

The unprecedented rise in production and consumption of electronic devices has resulted in staggering amounts of electronic waste (e-waste). Improper recycling and disposal of e-waste can cause severe environmental and public health repercussions due to the presence of toxic substances like lead, mercury, and flame retardants. This article introduced advanced e-waste recycling technologies, focusing on physical and chemical treatment methods. Physical treatments such as gravity separation, electrostatic separation, and inverse flotation enable efficient and cost-effective recovery of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and rare earth metals from e-waste components. These physical processes are often environmentally friendly, scalable, and can handle diverse e-waste streams. Chemical treatments, including the dimethylformamide technique, supercritical fluid technique, and pyrolysis, allow for separating hazardous substances and recovering valuable materials not amenable to physical processes. Supercritical CO2 fluid destroys toxic organic compounds while enabling metal recovery. Pyrolysis converts plastics into liquid oil and gas products. By enhancing the separation and purification of valued materials, these physical and chemical e-waste recycling techniques provide more profitable, efficient, and sustainable solutions to ever-growing e-waste volumes.