Terena L., Almeida Neto A., Gimenes M., Vieira M., 2017, Characterisation of Printed Circuit Boards of Mobile Phones Discarded in Brazil, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 56, 1945-1950.
The characterisation of printed circuit boards (PCB) removed from discarded mobile phones in Brazil and an inventory of data of the components in PCB were accomplished in this paper. Data of chemical composition of PCB were obtained from the physicochemical characterisation of their components through the analysis of granulometry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray detector (SEM/EDS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The analysis allowed a broad view and a highlight for the wide variety of elements and heterogeneity of the material. It can be also highlighted the high amount of copper, lead and other high-value metals in the PCB. This study is relevant for the development of new recycling technologies, once this material has been discarded incorrectly in Brazil. Based on the percentage of mobile phones recycled and disposed in Brazil, it is possible to quantify financial loss resulting from incorrect disposal.
