Catalytic Pyrolysis of Waste-Printed Circuit Boards Using a Cu/Fe Bimetal Synergistic Effect to Enhance Debromination

Jiahui Wang (), Zhen Xi, Bo Niu, Ruitong Gao and Zhenming Xu
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Jiahui Wang: College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Zhen Xi: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Energy and Resources, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Bo Niu: Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Environment of Hebei Province, College of Resources and Environmental Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
Ruitong Gao: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Energy and Resources, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
Zhenming Xu: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Deep and efficient debromination is a critical step in achieving environmentally friendly recycling and ensuring the sustainability of waste-printed circuit boards (WPCBs) because of their high toxicity and carcinogenicity. To this end, this study used a copper–iron (Cu/Fe) bimetal as a debromination agent to remove bromides from WPCBs using in situ catalytic pyrolysis technology. The results show that the maximum debromination efficiency was 97.14% under the following conditions: a Cu mole ratio of 0.20 (Cu/Fe-0.20), a Cu/Fe-0.20 dosage of 0.4, a pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, and a retention time of 10 min. The main bromine species in pyrolysis oil and gas were bromophenol, bromomethane, HBr, and Br 2 . The conversion of bromine species and the debromination of the Cu/Fe-0.20 bimetal were analyzed in real time using a thermogravimetry-coupled Fourier transform infrared and mass spectrometer (TG-FTIR-MS). Using the Cu/Fe bimetal synergistic effect, we determined that the debromination mechanism could be used for bromide conversion and fixing. The Cu in the Cu/Fe-0.20 transformed the organic Br (bromophenol and bromomethane) into inorganic Br (HBr and Br 2 ) by providing empty orbitals for lone pairs of electrons. Then, the generated HBr and Br 2 reacted with Fe in the Cu/Fe-0.20 and were fixed in pyrolysis residue. This study provides theoretical support and a practical method for WPCB deep debromination and recycling.

Keywords: waste-printed circuit boards; debromination; in situ catalytic pyrolysis; sustainability; Cu/Fe bimetal; mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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