How to recycle printed circuit boards for cash?

There are many precious metals, like gold, copper, aluminum, tin, chrome, etc., contained in the printed circuit boards, which has high recyclable value, we can recycle printed circuit boards for cash. Well, how to recycle printed circuit boards for cash? Let's have a look.

1. Reselling directly

Waste printed circuit boards

The first way to recycle printed circuit boards for cash is sold after recycling. You can buy waste printed circuit boards at a low level from the recycling place, and then resell them at a slightly higher price to recyclers, who specialize in processing waste circuit boards, thereby earning a certain profit from it.

2. Reselling after dismantling

PCB dismantling machine

Reselling after dismantling is also a method to recycle printed circuit boards for cash. The printed circuit boards can be dismantled into electronic components and bare boards. Electronic components are generally composed of resistors, capacitors, tin and other materials with recycling value. You can dismantle these value materials from printed circuit boards by manual dismantling or using a PCB dismantling machine firstly, and then resell these electronic components and bare board for cash. The profit is a little higher than reselling directly.

3. Selling after separating

Metal content of printed circuit boards

The most profitable way to recycle printed circuit boards for cash is to separate the precious metals and resin fiber from the printed circuit boards and sell. The metal content is as high as 40% in the printed circuit boards, and furthermore the metal grade in the printed circuit boards is equivalent to tens to hundreds of metal grade in ordinary minerals. Usually the most in the metal content is copper, also there is gold, aluminum, nickel, lead, silicon metal and so on contained in it. The profit of selling precious metals is much higher than selling bare boards.

Well, how to separate these precious metals from printed circuit boards? There are three main ways to handle it.

a. Pyrometallurgy

Pyrometallurgy

The basic principle of pyrometallurgy is to use high-temperature heating in a metallurgical furnace to peel off resin fiber, and the precious metals are melted in other metal smelting materials or molten salts, and then separated. Resin fiber are generally separated and removed as scum, while precious metals and other metals flow out in an alloy state, and then refined or electrolytically treated.

b. Hydrometallurgy

Hydrometallurgy

The basic principle of hydrometallurgy technology is mainly to use the characteristics that precious metals can be dissolved in nitric acid-aqua regia or other metal-melting reagent solutions to separate precious metals from other substances and recover them from the liquid phase.

The above two methods will more or less damage the quality of precious metals and affect the selling price. Besides, the precious metals cannot be completely recovered, which will cause certain losses. Moreover, they will cause some water or gas pollution to environment. Hence, the two methods are not recommended.

c. Mechanical treatment

Mechanical treatment technology is mainly based on the physical properties of materials, mainly density or specific gravity, electrical conductivity, magnetism and other differences to sort and process waste printed circuit boards.

PCB recycling machine

PCB recycling machine is the most common machine to handle printed circuit boards. With the process of shredding, crushing, magnetic separation, air separation and electrostatic separation, the precious metals will be separated from resin fiber. Since it doesn’t use fire or chemical solvents, it will neither damage the quality of the metals nor pollute the environment. The price of precious metals is considerable.

If you want to recycle printed circuit boards for cash, welcome to contact with us for more information of PCB recycling machine.