Modern methods of waste processing. Modern methods of processing electronics. Plasma recycling of waste

Over the past 30 years, mankind has spent a third of the resources available on Earth. Every year, resource consumption increases by one and a half percent. Therefore, the conservation of natural resources, the search for alternative resources, the recycling of raw materials, and the reuse of waste are of such importance.

Over the past century, the population of the Earth has increased 4 times, the volume of industrial production has increased almost 20 times. But modern technology does not allow to properly purify air and water, to dispose of production waste. Currently, about 80 billion tons of garbage have been accumulated in the dumps. And these mountains are growing because only a third of the by-products are processed.
Well-known convenient plastic bottles. They decompose in the ground for hundreds of years, while a tin can takes 10 years, and cardboard only 1-2 years. In general, the decomposition time of polyethylene depends on its structure and can exceed several thousand years.

Every year, the population throws away more and more packages, tires, household appliances. Today, the issue of recycling waste is back on the agenda. The "second life" of waste helps to save a significant amount of raw materials and energy.
Hundreds of flowers made from plastic bottles. All this is an exhibition called "A Thousand Suns", held in the US state of Michigan

Waste paper, packaging, glass, wood, metal, household appliances are recycled all over the world - waste recycling has become one of the fastest growing industries. We generously send it all to landfills.
Here is such a unique motorcycle made from old parts from cars and bicycles.

Modern electronic components recycling plant in Tokyo

On average, one ton of computer junk contains as much gold as 18 tons of gold-bearing rock.

An interesting use for plastic bottles was found in the city of Roubaix, France. Of these, they built such spherical rooms for dates in the park.

What to do with the huge amount of vuvuzelas left over from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa? A competition was organized for the secondary use of these musical instruments. In this place, they made the original lamp.

From film from old video cassettes, you can make original designer bags.

Old pipe recycling plant

This man is rummaging through a landfill in Manila, Philippines looking for copper and other metals. For many people living here, this is the only source of income.

A tiger made from everything. He took part in the Chinese New Year Parade in Sydney.

Globe model created by a designer from plastic bottles, Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv

Collection and recycling of old mobile phones in Tokyo

In the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, there is a "tank cemetery" where about 700 decommissioned armored vehicles are located. They are sold for processing at a price of $0.25/kg.

In the American city of Columbus, Ohio, stores have special tanks for old, unnecessary glasses. They are then collected, disinfected and distributed free of charge to those in need.

Exhibition in Taipei, April 9, 2010. A Taiwanese company built a three-story exhibition pavilion from 1.5 million plastic bottles instead of bricks.

Interesting installation in Sydney, Australia - Christmas tree made from old bicycles

Aluminum can recycling plant in Laval, France

Violinist of the Paraguayan symphony orchestra "Trash Melodies", whose musicians play instruments made from recycled materials

10-meter transforming robot made from car scrap, Beijing

You can also make fuel for cars from plastic bottles. This is a worker of a plastic waste recycling plant, holding a jar of fuel oil, Hong Kong, August 24, 2011. Here, in the future, they will be able to turn 3 tons of old plastic into 1,000 liters of fuel.
By the way, this year the specialists of a Russian company from the city of Tomsk presented an installation that is capable of obtaining as much as 900 grams of fuel from 1 kilogram of crushed plastic bottles.

18m catamaran made from 11,000 plastic bottles, Sydney, Australia

In the drawers of the tables you can find a lot of outdated, but working components. On the one hand, it seems to be a pity to throw it away - solid sums were once paid for these useless "pieces of iron". But today all this is unnecessary garbage, the place of which is in a landfill.

However, there are people who do not see the problem in finding a use for an old drive or non-working hours. They can be repaired, redone, restored. And if it doesn’t work out, just use it for beauty. This material is devoted to the most interesting examples of "recycling" of garbage.

⇡ Music from trash

The first electronic musical instruments appeared long before Jean-Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk. For example, one of the predecessors of the synthesizer, the theremin, which musicians still use today, was created by Lev Sergeevich Theremin back in 1919. But now it is already impossible to get to the bottom of who and when the idea of ​​using old computer components for playing music first came to mind.

Iron hit: hits played on computer hardware

It's hard to define music. Probably, its most successful and correct interpretation is harmony. Where there is harmony, we hear music. It can be caught anywhere - in the voice of a flute, in the strumming of a guitar, in the murmur of water, in the singing of birds or the sound of the surf. But the most amazing thing is when harmony is heard where you least expect to find it. For example, in the roar of machine tools in a factory or in the hum of computer coolers.

Do you think we're exaggerating? Hardly. Let's see what the human imagination can produce when focused on making music out of noise.

One of the pioneers of computer music is James Houston. And when we say "computer music", we do not mean electronic keyboards at all. James was one of the first to come up with the idea of ​​using outdated computer parts to create melodies. A TV instead of a monitor, a cassette recorder for downloading data (yes, imagine, there was such a thing before disk drives), one of the first HP Scanjet 3c scanners, the first Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, an Epson LX-81 printer and other details.

Here's what it looked like.

Not very impressive? Nevertheless, in 2008 this clip aroused great interest among Internet users. In just a week after posting on YouTube, James was inundated with thousands of reviews. Among the letters received were an offer to sign a recording contract for this cover and a message directly from Radiohead inviting them to post the video on the band's official website. For a student from Glasgow, this was a great success and an incentive to create in the future.

But this was only the first experience. James Huston has a huge following. And some of them were able to demonstrate "aerobatics" in creating music on computer hardware. One such artist is a Canadian from Toronto named James Cochrane. He took it so seriously that his cover of The Animals' legendary The House of the Rising Sun became a hit on YouTube for a while. It is performed by a whole ensemble of hard drives, an oscilloscope, a scanner, and various computer components.

In addition to this piece, a Canadian music lover has made versions of other well-known compositions in a similar arrangement, for example "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen and the song Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know"

The modern computer is not at all like the cabinets and drawers that were before. The appearance is changing, the content is changing. Some parts of the PC become obsolete and in the finished package become an unnecessary addition, a kind of computer atavism.

So, for example, still in some computers you can see floppy disk drives, or, simply speaking, floppy disks. Those who are lucky enough to use this type of media should remember the characteristic sound that accompanied each time the read head turned to the magnetic disk. This creaking sound could have a different tone, depending on the position of the sector being read. And if you choose such reading parameters for the drive so that it can play this or that note on demand, it is quite possible to train the drive to play any melody.

How to do this, knows the Polish amateur radio Pavel Zadrozniak (Pawel Zadrozniak). Together with other students of Krakow University (AGH University of Science and Technology), Pavel developed a system of disk drives controlled by a microcontroller. With the help of this device, the Imperial March, the most recognizable tune from the Star Wars saga, was played on floppy disks.

Playing on disk drives proved to be a very popular activity, and the number of people wanting to make the disk drive play increased dramatically. There were even originals who are trying to sell recorded music through online services. For example, a certain MrSolidSnake745 put this idea on stream. He built an orchestra of eight disk drives, connected them to the Arduino platform and recorded a lot of popular tunes from games, movies, etc.

It is difficult to judge how much this business has enriched the “composer”, but if it is for sale, then someone is buying.

If suddenly you too have a burning desire to build a "music box" out of the drive, you can easily find guides and tips on how to do it on the Web. For example, on the personal page of one of these enthusiasts, Michael Kohn.

Garbage concert with orchestra

If a desire arises in the soul to create real art, no life barriers and conventions can prevent this. The story below is proof of that.

In the far, far away country of Paraguay, where poverty in provincial towns coexists with dirty puddles and rickety shacks, people live who cannot imagine their life without music. But the trouble is - how to learn to play musical instruments if there is not a penny of money? There is not only no finance for studying at the conservatory, but no money even for the simplest cello or the cheapest clarinet.

But, as you know, if resourcefulness, creativity, passion and inspiration converge in one person, a miracle is born. That person turned out to be a teacher named Favio Chávez. In the small town of Cateura, Favio opened a music class, but there were too few instruments, far fewer people willing to play them.

Watching how his students are drawn to music, but do not have the opportunity to realize their desires, the teacher decided to provide everyone with instruments at all costs. One day, Favio Chavez met a garbage collector named Nicolás Gómez, nicknamed Cola, who at one time worked as a guitar maker. After consulting among themselves, these two people came to an unexpected decision - to create tools from ... garbage. It is from the garbage, which is very much in the city dump. Here, by the way, it would not be superfluous to mention that the entire town of Cateura is one big dump, and most of its adult population is busy sorting garbage and looking for something else that can be of value.

It turned out that it was not difficult to build musical instruments from the materials found in the landfill. Favio's excellent hearing and the ingenuity of the scavenger made it possible to create futuristic musical instruments from the most seemingly useless things. So, for example, a barrel of oil products turned into a cello, pipes into flutes, and packing boxes into guitars.

Favio's activities brought fame to the small town of Cateura. The start of a music teacher was supported by sponsors, thanks to which a bank of musical instruments that were in use, but still suitable for teaching children, was opened.

And the children who still managed to learn music united in a team that received the quite expected name - Recycled Orchestra (“Garbage Orchestra”).

Recently, this team ran a fundraising campaign on the popular Kickstarter service. Hoping for large collections, the trash orchestra cherished Napoleonic plans - from filming a feature-length documentary about the orchestra to creating a social movement in support of the poor.

But, despite the powerful informational support (all leading TV channels, including CNN and BBC, made reports about a strange musical group from Paraguay) and noble intentions, the musicians failed to realize most of their ideas. They managed to raise only enough money to organize a round-the-world tour of the Recycled Orchestra. However, this is also a lot - more than two hundred thousand dollars.

⇡ Masters of Digital Garbage

What is interesting is that the number of people who see beauty in the ordinary is increasing all the time. Probably, nevertheless, the classic was right, and you and I are simply witnessing how beauty saves this world. A world that turns out to be boring and so diverse.

Gioconda from ASUS

The works of talented artists are sometimes so brilliant that if you try to repeat them, even their not very exact copy will attract attention. One such masterpiece is the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. I remember, as soon as the first printing devices appeared, it became very fashionable in various research institutes to hang a piece of a long roll of paper over the workplace, on which the famous canvas printed with ordinary alphabetic and digital characters was guessed. Whatever method the artist chooses to replicate the appearance of the Mona Lisa, the result will almost certainly please many.

In 2009, the Taiwanese company ASUS helped ensure that the Mona Lisa once again experienced reincarnation. One of the most amazing "remakes" of this canvas was created. Moreover, fragments of ASUS motherboards were chosen as paints. To get the right picture, I had to very carefully work out the position of each detail in the "picture" - its orientation, color, and so on. With this unusual installation, exhibited in the office in Taipei, ASUS seems to emphasize that the creation of computer components and, in particular, motherboards is also a kind of art.

World on boards

If you look at satellite images and then look at the printed circuit boards of some electronic devices, you can see a lot of similarities. Roads, buildings, the relief of the earth's surface - all this resembles the wiring of boards with soldered elements. Probably, it was this analogy that prompted Susan Stockwell to create an entire map of the world out of motherboards.

To achieve the closest possible similarity, Susan used recycled components - connecting cables, coolers, cooling systems, etc. All this is not located randomly, as it might seem at first glance, but in an orderly manner, so that the drawing of a real map is imitated. This project was created for the University of Bedfordshire (Bedfordshire University).

Computer metropolis

Artists have a special vision, not the same as that of ordinary people. In unremarkable things, they are able to see completely unexpected pictures. And the most talented of these people can show what they see to everyone else. For example, the Italian designer Franco Recchia (Franco Recchia) creates his paintings using the components of electronic devices.

For example, RAM strips, cooling radiators and all kinds of connectors taken from motherboards, in one of the artist's works, make up a whole Manhattan, with skyscrapers and spiers.

Paintings from wires and films

There are so many lovers of creating sculptures from electronic components that even personalities with a characteristic “handwriting” have appeared among artists, such as Peter McFarlane. Peter makes paintings by laying them out with wires on a circuit board.

Colombian surrealist artist Federico Uribe uses wires as paint for his canvases. He simply “embroiders” pictures with wires with multi-colored insulation. Some of his works are voluminous, but Federico categorically objects to calling his creations installations, he considers them to be paintings.

Erika Iris Simmons specializes in cassette tapes. In some amazing way, with the help of magnetic films, she can lay out any image. Erica's collection of works includes a large number of portraits of famous personalities - from the Liverpool Four and Bob Dylan to Lenny Kravitz and Nick Cave.

Moreover, for especially "ancient" celebrities (such as Marilyn Monroe or Alfred Hitchcock), Erica did not use cassette tape, but magnetic tape from reels. Such paintings may well serve, say, as decoration for the interior of a rock cafe, and aged films will stimulate a retro mood.

In addition to the "film" paintings, Erica also has drawings created using a cord from a Nintendo game console.

Laserdiscs are still in use

Any format of digital media becomes obsolete sooner or later. Floppy disks are outdated, CDs have almost lost their relevance. But all this is an excellent “building” material from which you can make a lot of useful or simply beautiful things. For example, craftsmen have learned how to make bags from floppy disks, and a beautiful lamp can be made from a stack of laser discs in a matter of minutes.

With old discs, you can do even more rationally and combine beauty and benefit. In Madrid, one could see such beauty on the wall of the Vincci Soho hotel.

The creation of this almost thirteen-meter lizard took more than five thousand optical discs. They are firmly fixed on a special base and, of course, make passers-by stop when they see a gecko for the first time.

This lizard was made last year by the iade school of design, and the installation itself was named La Piel Cambiando (Skin Change). According to the designers who came up with this ad, the "animal" is looking for sunlight and symbolizes renewal, development and change.

Gear Treasures

Despite the abundance of electronics, we are still surrounded by a lot of mechanical devices. Of course, they age, often break down, and besides, they are being replaced by trendy battery-powered gadgets. Many mechanical devices end their lives in the same way - in the trash can. No one will think what to do with a broken watch - it's expensive to repair, it's pointless to disassemble for spare parts.

And yet there is a person who is convinced that throwing wheels and springs is not worth it, even if they have ceased to fulfill their functions.

Justin Gershenson-Gates (Justin Gershenson-Gates) from the USA admires the harmony and coherence of the details of mechanical devices so much that he decided to prove to everyone that gears and other parts of mechanical watches themselves have a great design and therefore can be used as jewelry.

According to the "mechanical jeweler", his fate was predetermined - his grandfather was a railway worker, and his father was very fond of delving into various mechanisms. As a child, he, like, probably, many curious boys, often took apart toys, wanting to understand how they work. Moreover, as Justin himself admits, in most cases he could no longer collect them back.

Now he continues to do the same, but he is already dismantling the “dead”, that is, broken mechanisms, and for the good of the cause. By adding minimal modifications to the design of parts and fastening them in a special way, Justin Gates creates pendants, cufflinks, pendants, earrings and other jewelry. The author of wonderful creations collects material for new steampunk jewelry, buying up old mechanical watches in large quantities on Ebay and other similar services. The newly minted jeweler says that his goal is to show the beauty of the mechanical world, to open up to others a place that is usually hidden behind a wall of metal and glass.

The author of jewelry gears even organized the A Mechanical Mind studio and periodically holds exhibitions showing his works. Those who wish can purchase the things they like on the needlework site ETSY, where the author exhibits his “jewels”.

⇡ With your own hands: "garbage" transport and other crafts

Captain Nemo from China

By his example, the Chinese inventor Tao Xiangli proved that the lack of funds and the absence of a rich sponsor is not a problem if there is a great desire to realize your ideas. You just need to take a closer look at the recycling products, which in fact often are not.

The inventions of Tao Xiangli cost a decent "penny", however, given the scale of the projects being implemented, the inventor's costs can be considered symbolic. In 2009, this Chinese craftsman surprised many experienced designers.

Having invested only about three thousand dollars, Tao made no less ... a submarine. When this became known to the public, Tao became a celebrity and reporters from all over the world reached out to him. What Tao said in his interview shocked many. His last job was as a technician at a karaoke bar. He has no education. He studied only five classes at school, and the last year was an encore. A junior high school repeater, Tao never uses a tape measure or ruler. He selects all sizes intuitively.

His submarine turned out without a European-style repair - rusty and 90 percent consisting of parts that were in operation. But she swims, although the first tests could cost the inventor his life. According to the author of this miracle, he got many parts of the submarine almost for nothing - light bulbs, wires, switches, and so on. “Our country is developing very quickly, I would never have thought of such a thing before,” Tao laughs. Now a Chinese submarine builder is plowing his submersible into the local river. Only one person fits in a submarine, and even then - if its dimensions are the same as those of the chief designer.

Encouraged by the success, the Chinese Kulibin spent another year of work on a new undertaking. This time he decided to realize another childhood dream and make himself a robot. For the next project, the inventor had to invest more than $ 24,000. With this money, he bought scrap metal, wires and electronic parts. From all this "trash" Tao built a huge monster robot, which is more than two meters high and weighs 480 kilograms.

Bike decorated with trash

Many bikers strive to give their vehicle some special design. There are many bikers in the world who make high-quality “pumping” of a motorcycle beyond recognition. Mirrors are being added, the look and filling are changing ... But few can compare in this skill with a master from Bangkok. His name is Roongrojna Sangwongprisarn.

The motorcycles he created by hand are impossible to forget - this is a real work of art. Colorful monsters hug the two-wheeled car and make it noticeable from afar. But the most amazing thing is that the author uses parts from discarded cars to create these bike sculptures. The creator of these masterpieces has his own network of Ko Art Shops through which Roongrojna sells his creations.

The second life of the "iron horse"

Many things are disposed of by man unwisely. At least that's what the creative agency Lola in Madrid thinks so. This is especially true for cars. Old, rusty, end-of-life cars are great material for further use. Employees of the mentioned agency have developed their own technology for converting discarded cars into bicycles. They called their project Bicycled - a play on the English words bicycle (bicycle) and recycled (recycling).

It turns out that this is quite easy. With skillful hands, almost every unusable car can be used to create a high-quality two-wheeled vehicle that will serve its owner for a long time to come. The necessary elements are cut out of the doors and body of the car, a frame and a steering wheel are made by welding. Any "surviving" parts are used - from drive belts to door handles. Using a surviving fragment of the skin of one of the seats, the craftsmen create a saddle, and signal lights removed from the car are fixed on the bike. The output is a completely working model of two-wheeled transport.

But the best part about it is that cycling is an environmentally friendly mode of transport. The amount of waste is reduced and people join a healthy lifestyle.

Housing from old cars

Bicycles aren't the only things old cars are good for. If you have enough patience and inspiration, you can build an entire house out of old cars, just like Karl Wanaselja did. He is an architect by profession, so it was not a very difficult task for Karl to carry out a preliminary calculation of his future home.

Almost all the details of the dwelling were taken from old cars. When the architect began building his home in Berkeley, he had to study the California dump, where he managed to get most of the materials. At the junkyard, he was mainly looking for the roofs and side windows of a Dodge Caravan minivan. The windows were turned into awnings, and fragments of the roofs were useful for cladding the upper floor.

According to Karl, he managed to create the illusion of a large space in a very limited way, and he even jokingly compares his house to a telephone booth from Doctor Who.

Garbage King

If you call the next builder the king of garbage, he will not be offended. Moreover, he will take it as a compliment.

Each of us has our own world, and whether we like it or not, we subconsciously try to bring it into reality. Some people do it easily, some never do it. But this man could. True, he did not have the means to build his kingdom, with cathedrals and arches.

Therefore, Vince Hannemann from Texas chose garbage as a building material. He has been collecting junk since 1989. Thousands of discarded items - from damaged irons and TVs to outdated phones, broken furniture and electronics - everything has a use in his miracle cathedral, built from all this rubbish. At first, no one took this man seriously, but when in 2010 his cathedral reached a decent size, the municipality of Austin realized it and banned this construction, considering the idea at least dangerous. But it was not there. The future king of garbage, although he was forced to remove the sixty-ton garbage cathedral, did not want to give up. He called for the help of engineers to use them to calculate a safe design option. When all the calculations with evidence of the stability of the building were in hand, the enthusiast was able to continue what he had begun.

Conclusion

Man lacks natural resources, and he strives into space to extract minerals. He is eager to find elusive particles in order to get cheap energy. At the same time, he does not pay attention to the fact that he has everything at hand to implement any of his ideas. It is only necessary to use the existing potential more effectively. And of course, just a good dig in the trash.

After all, if someone alone can make a violin out of unnecessary trash, create a robot or build a house, then what can we say about larger projects that can be completed together. In addition, consumables for these purposes are always at hand. Something, but we still have enough garbage for a long time.

It is the responsibility of every person to keep the environment clean. This does not apply exclusively to his living conditions. In the process of human life, in industries, in medical institutions, the appearance of all kinds of waste is a normal phenomenon. But according to experts, this is the issue that ranks first among other problems that are harmful to the environment. If it is not solved, then it is not global warming or ozone holes that threaten humanity. All living things on earth can die under the mountains of their own garbage.

There is a unified environmental service that identifies the main types of waste:

household;

Production;

Chemical;

medical;

food;

Dangerous;

Equipment and office equipment.

It makes no sense to describe each species separately. From the names it is clear what constitutes a certain type of waste. It is more important to know that the world of high technologies does not stand still. And the issue of waste disposal is solved precisely with the use of high technologies.

Basic Waste Disposal Methods

In some companies, the method of waste disposal is still acceptable. But it is he who brings a global catastrophe. Experts provided data according to which 24 million tons of hazardous waste is generated in European countries annually. And only a quarter of this is properly disposed of. The remaining 75% is simply buried in specialized landfills. Needless to say, how dangerous and harmful it is to the environment?

Burning

Waste incineration does no less harm, despite the fact that it is produced in several ways:

Layered;

Chamber;

in a fluidized bed.

These are more environmentally friendly methods. Although even in the suburban area of ​​large cities, you can often see smoking landfills with garbage.

Composting

Briquetting

This is a relatively new method, which involves the preliminary sorting of waste, followed by assembly into briquettes. The feasibility of this method is not yet entirely clear. Often it is used for further recycling of waste.

Waste disposal equipment

There are wastes for which none of the listed methods is acceptable. These are plastic, polyethylene, some industrial and medical waste, harmful substances, and so on. Modern technologies designed to solve the global issue of waste disposal allow not only to safely dispose of waste, but also to make a profitable business out of it.

Equipment used by such enterprises:

Crushers;

Autoclaves;

Dryers;

Granulators;

Magnetic separators.

This is a high-tech equipment that allows not only to destroy garbage, but also to produce secondary raw materials from it. Polyethylene, paper, fuel briquettes, fuels and lubricants, household items and so on. Moreover, it helps to minimize the harmful impact on the environment.

Principles of operation of waste disposal companies

Many utilities in large cities continue to operate in the old fashioned way. This is a scheme that has been worked out over the years: a container - a landfill - incineration or disposal. Needless to say, how high the level of pollution and harm caused to a person during such work.

Companies that provide waste disposal services, for the most part, are private. The state is not yet interested in solving this problem. Meanwhile, mountains of garbage in the vicinity of cities are growing, poisoning the lives of ordinary citizens. Therefore, caring citizens receive licenses from the Ministry of Ecology and organize a useful business. Such enterprises do not experience a lack of raw materials for their activities.

The production process for waste disposal consists of several stages:

Collection and export;

Sorting;

Recycling.

Crumb rubber is produced from used car tires, which are purchased by rubber goods enterprises with pleasure. Glass is processed into glass granules, which are also used for further production of glass products. Every toilet paper is made from recycled waste paper.

Significant climate change and biodiversity loss are just two of the many serious environmental problems that continue to grow globally. The world's population is now over 7 billion and there is growing concern about the lack of food, water, energy and other resources. To reduce environmental damage and resource scarcity, we need to get serious about recycling end-of-life items. Electronics recycling is very important.

Electronic waste (in English. e-waste) includes all end-of-life devices whose operation depends on electric current and / or electromagnetic fields. Phones, laptops, TVs, etc. turn into waste, becoming obsolete faster and faster, falling into disrepair to ensure the need to purchase new devices.

Electronic waste includes printed circuit boards, which, although they make up about 3% of the total amount of this type of waste, are very dangerous due to the high concentration of toxic substances. Such waste without proper disposal negatively affects the ecosystem, both biotic and abiotic parts of it. The presence of a variety of highly toxic materials and heavy metals makes landfilling or simple incineration unacceptable management methods for such waste. Therefore, the best way to dispose of electronic waste is to recycle it.

In addition to the fact that electronic waste is a great environmental hazard, it must be remembered that the production of mobile phones and personal computers consumes significant shares of the gold, silver and palladium mined annually around the world. Of course, each individual device contains a meager amount of precious metals, but if we consider the global production (more than 1.2 billion annually), then it is unreasonable to neglect this amount. It should be noted that the concentration of these precious metals in printed circuit boards is more than ten times higher than their concentration in the mined ore. However, the processing of printed circuit boards is a technologically complex process due to the heterogeneity of materials, because they consist of many dissimilar components.

The amount of electronic waste in Russia and in the world

According to some estimates, e-waste is approximately 8% of total household waste.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine the exact amount of e-waste generated. As early as 10 years ago, UNEP estimated that e-waste was about 20-50 million tons per year (2005). In Russia, they are estimated at approximately 1.5 million tons.. The US Environmental Protection Agency has reported that each household in the US uses about 34 electronic devices and electrical appliances (2010 data). This results in an average of over 5 million tons of e-waste per year. For the EU, it has been calculated that on average each citizen generates about 15 kg of e-waste per year, resulting in 7 million tons of waste (2010 data).

Also, statistics show that China generates more than 1.1 million tons of electronic waste, in particular from the manufacturing industry. A recent study showed that the total amount of e-waste in India in 2007-2011 was 2.5 million tons, with an annual growth rate of e-waste of 7-10%.

In addition, the amount of e-waste in the newly industrialized and developing countries is growing due to the import of waste from developed countries. According to recent studies, currently up to 50-80% of e-waste generated in developed countries is shipped to developing countries for reuse and disposal, which is often contrary to international laws.

Electronics recycling

Recycling of e-waste is done both formally and informally. For official disposal, well-established methods are used to separate the necessary fractions from the waste. However, plants built in compliance with all the necessary requirements for technological processes are expensive both to build and to start up. In various underdeveloped and developing countries, where recycling is not adequately funded, it is often carried out informally and without compliance with the necessary requirements and norms, and pregnant women and children can work in such plants.

Hazardous chemicals in electronics

The most common routes of exposure to hazardous components of e-waste during recycling are ingestion of hazardous substances through skin contact and inhalation, through contaminated soil, water, food and air.

Hazardous chemicals in e-waste may be present either in their components or released during their processing. The main contaminants in e-waste are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which have a long half-life. Some of the most common POPs released during processing are brominated flame retardants (BFRS) (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), polychlorinated biphenyls, hexabromocyclododecanes, polybrominated biphenyls, dibrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated or polybrominated dioxins. and di-benzofurans of dioxins. The POPs generated during the dismantling and smelting process consist of polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons appear due to incomplete combustion of fuels such as coal, gas, oil, etc. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, copper, manganese, nickel, arsenic, zinc are also dangerous.

PCB recycling technologies

The printed circuit board is one of the most important components of electronic equipment. They are a platform on which microelectronic components such as semiconductor chips and capacitors are mounted and interconnected. Board recycling includes three types of processing: pre-processing, physical processing and chemical processing. Pre-treatment includes dismantling of reusable and toxic elements, grinding or separation. Then comes the physical processing. The materials are then recovered by a chemical recycling process.

Physical Methods

mechanical processing

This is a physical processing method in which the disassembled parts are ground to the required size, after which they enter the fine grinding plant. The resulting powder is subjected to eddy currents in separators where the metals are separated due to their electrical conductivity. Then the powder is separated depending on the density and particle size. Stratification into various materials can be observed on the liquid column.

Air separation method

In this method, the separation of dispersed solids occurs due to the different particle sizes and their different densities. Particles suspended in the gas, mainly in air, take up different positions in the separator under the influence of different forces depending on the material. Heavy particles have a terminal settling velocity greater than the air velocity, while lighter particles have a terminal settling velocity less than the air velocity. Consequently, heavy particles move down against the air flow, while light particles rise with the air flow to the top of the separator.

Principle of Air Separation of PCB Waste

Electrostatic separation method

This method uses an electrostatic field to separate bulk materials, which acts on uncharged or polarized bodies. These technologies are used to process metals and plastics from industrial waste. Electrostatic separation technologies can be used to separate Cu, Al, Pb, Sn and iron, and some precious metals and plastics.

Magnetic separation

Magnetic separators are widely used to separate ferromagnetic metals from non-ferrous metals and other non-magnetic wastes. The disadvantage of magnetic separation is the agglomeration of particles, as a result of which the magnet pulls non-metallic inclusions together with ferromagnetic metals. Therefore, this method is not very efficient.

Chemical Methods

Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is a chemical method that is widely used to process synthetic polymers, including glass fiber polymers. Pyrolysis of such polymers produces gases, hydrocarbons, and charred residue. These substances can later be used as chemical raw materials or fuels. The boards are heated to a temperature high enough to melt the solder used to bond the electrical components together. The charred conglomerate, also called "ferrous metal", contains a large percentage of copper, as well as small amounts of iron, calcium, nickel, zinc and aluminum, which can then be reduced.

Hydrometallurgical method

This method is mainly used for processing circuit boards in order to extract the metal fraction. The method consists in leaching metals using acid and alkali solutions, followed by electrorefining of the desired metals. This method is considered to be more flexible and energy efficient, hence cost effective. Commonly used lixiviants are aqua regia, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and cyanide solutions. In the case of non-metallic substrates, metals leach into solution from the substrate. In the case of a metal substrate, electrochemical processing may be applied to recover metals. Thus, the hydrometallurgical method makes it possible to recover metals without any additional processing, while the rest of the materials in the board must be subjected to additional heat treatment before reuse or disposal. The main disadvantage of this method is the causticity and toxicity of the liquids used.

Biometallurgical separation method

This method has been used to extract precious metals and copper from ore for a long time, but it is still not very well developed. Microorganisms use metals present in the external environment and on the surface of cells for their intracellular functions. Each type of microorganism has a characteristic tendency to carry a specific metal in a specific environment. Bioleaching and biosorption are, in general, the two main areas of biometallurgy used to extract metals. Bioleaching has been successfully used to extract precious metals and copper from ores for many years. The same technique can be applied to recover copper and other valuable metals from PCB waste.

Gasification

The main application of the gasification process is the generation of synthesis gas (CO, H2). Gasification takes place at approximately 1600°C and a pressure of approximately 150 bar. Hydrogen-rich synthesis gas is the main product of gasification and is a valuable feedstock for methanol production. After appropriate processing, some fractions of this gas can be used to produce heat and electricity.

The principle of the gasification process of PCB waste

Application of physical and chemical processing methods

Benefits of physical processing methods, such as magnetic separators, separators that separate materials according to density, etc., regarding chemical processing is that they do not require large financial investments, they are relatively simple, convenient, less polluting, less costly energy. Metal fractions obtained by physical processing methods can be used commercially without significant recovery procedures. However, for commercial use of non-metallic fractions, they must be subjected to chemical processing. Thus, physical processing methods are more cost-effective for processing metal fractions than non-metallic ones. The main purpose of chemical processing methods, such as pyrolysis, is to convert polymers contained in non-metallic fractions into chemical feedstocks or fuels. Chemical processing methods have advantages in converting bromine flame retardants and recovering heavy metals left over from physical processing methods.

The use of non-metallic fractions of printed circuit boards

A large amount of non-metallic PCB waste, which is often hazardous to people and the environment (due to the presence of brominated flame retardants and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, etc.), is dumped in landfills. To prevent this, it is necessary to find their optimal use.

Non-metallic fractions are obtained easier than cement and sand, their granules are much smaller, therefore, they have a more reliable microstructure. The mechanical strength of the material increases in the presence of coarse glass fibers. Therefore, due to the above properties, non-metallic fractions can be successfully used as a filler in building materials, for the manufacture of adhesives and decorative agents.

A technique has been developed for the use of non-metallic fractions of printed circuit boards in the production of non-metallic plates, which can be used to obtain composite plates. Composite boards are used in many areas, including the automotive industry, furniture, various equipment and finishing materials.

Phenolic compounds are used in the production of radio components and kitchen utensils. With decreasing forest resources and rising costs, manufacturers are looking for alternatives to wood flooring. Non-metallic fractions of paper-based printed circuit boards seem to be a good replacement for a wooden floor.

Conclusion

Recycling of electronics is very important, as the components of technical equipment and electronic items are more resources than waste. Recyclable electronic components contain a sufficiently high content of useful resources, which makes their extraction economically viable. But minimizing the environmental impact we achieve by recycling electronics is much more important!

Due to the rapid development of industrial production, humanity faces the need to use new technologies for waste disposal. Today in Russia, about 94% of garbage is simply left at special landfills. In Europe, this figure also leaves much to be desired, although it is much lower (40%). How can the current situation be changed?

Burning

This relatively new technology in waste processing can be considered as sufficiently effective only if a number of mandatory conditions are met. So, for its implementation, it will be necessary to have waste incineration plants equipped with the latest technology. The construction of such enterprises usually takes a lot of money and time (over 5 years). Before the direct start of the process, the garbage must be sorted. Batteries, as well as metal and plastic components, are removed from the total mass.

International research organizations note a number of objective advantages of this method at once, namely:

1. Almost complete absence of unpleasant odors.
2. A small proportion of toxic substances released into the atmosphere. A study by the journal Waste Management has shown that incineration releases only 3.4 g of dioxins into the air each year, compared to the 1,300 g that occurs in landfills. The UK Environmental Services Association has determined that the technology does not cause mutations in plants grown near processing plants, nor does it cause cancer or respiratory disease in humans.
3. The possibility of obtaining a powerful thermal and energy resource base. This is especially relevant when using pyrolysis - a technology in which the combination of low or high temperatures (from 450 to 900 ° or more than 900 °, respectively) with an insufficient amount of oxygen does not lead to the release of harmful and toxic substances, but to the decomposition of the object into its constituent elements. In Russia, this method is still at the stage of development and experimental verification. It is assumed that the introduction of pyrolysis into a permanent practice will provide heat to entire cities with a population of 300,000 people. The enterprises themselves will be able to serve residents for 20 years with an average payback period of 4 years. They also do not have to be supplied with energy for operation, because the synthesis gas produced as a result of combustion will become fuel for reactors.

Burning garbage also prevents the formation of many kilometers of ruins, to which birds and rodents, carriers of infection and viruses, are drawn from the surrounding areas. However, this method requires the mandatory disposal of ash in special storage facilities due to the fact that, containing some impurities of heavy metals, dioxins and mercury, it cannot simply be dispelled or left on the ground.

Plasma processing

The next new recycling technology is one of the safest and most innovative solutions that could be found in this matter. Here, the principle of processing the mass with high temperatures is also used, however, the litter is brought not to decomposition, but to transformation into a gas.

In this state, the former items are distilled into steam, which results in several useful resources at once:

• electricity;
• environmentally friendly slag;
• non-pyrolyzable residues that can be reused for industrial purposes.

Factories operating on the basis of the principle of plasma processing have a closed and cyclical operation: for example, their reactors do not need new energy, because they work on part of their own heat. This system does not require pre-sorting and preparation of the material, because. it is capable of destroying any waste without harm to nature and human health, reducing their initial mass by more than 300 times. None of the currently known disposal methods can demonstrate such an indicator. The use of plasma is also distinguished by minimal costs - getting rid of 1 ton of garbage turns out to be 3 times cheaper than following any other method. That is why plasmatrons are actively used in technologically progressive countries - the USA, Great Britain, Japan, China.

Backfill

Among the technologies for waste disposal, one can also find those that are used not so much because of obvious positive criteria, but because of economic benefits. A striking example of a new method of this kind is the backfilling of a solid waste landfill, which results in the formation of synthesis of gases - methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and oxygen. In other words, the landfill is not just left on the surface of the planet for years, but is buried under a layer of earth and clay for 10-30 years. Over time, non-hazardous natural landfill gas is produced, which is then used to produce fuel, steam, heat and electricity.

Important! The implementation of this method is possible only in the presence of special deep pits, inside which pumping equipment must be installed to transfer gaseous decomposition products to enterprises.

Composting

The latest new recycling technology for household waste is great for organic materials - food residues, vegetation, paper. This disposal method, which is not used in large-scale industry, is a favorite among summer residents and farmers. The composting process consists in the formation of special piles of different sizes, which are regularly turned over (daily, 1 time per month, 1 time per year, etc., depending on the wishes of the person for the duration of composting).

The product obtained as a result of decomposition in natural climatic conditions is actively used as a valuable fertilizer in cultivating land, planting crops and saturating the soil.