Название: Sustainable Technologies for Value Addition to Electronic Waste
Автор: Abha Kumari, Ashok Pandey, Sang-Hyoun Kim
Издательство: CRC Press
Год: 2026
Страниц: 377
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf (true), epub
Размер: 14.7 MB

This book presents a sustainable, effective, and cost-effective solution for the valorization of e-waste for the recovery of expensive, valuable, strategic, heavy, and base metals and rare earth elements. The first section covers sustainable technologies for the valorization of e-waste into metals, materials, and alloys, followed by a section covering sustainable technologies for the valorization of e-waste into plastics and biofuels.

The development and advancement of electronic technology and its use by humans in the 20th and 21st centuries have led to the creation of e-waste. E-waste includes computers, mainframes, servers, monitors, printers, scanners, CDs, copiers, calculators, battery packs, cell phones, fax machines, transceivers, TVs, medical equipment, iPods, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed wires, circuit boards, polymers, metals, and other materials. One of the fastest-growing solid waste streams in the world today is e-waste, or electronic garbage, due to industrialization, urbanization, the expansion of information technology and Artificial Intelligence, and overpopulation. Electronic items are manufactured using several types of materials, including plastics and various metals and alloys, that have a life or usage for a given period. Once they stop working, they are discarded and termed e-waste. Since natural resources are finite, the recovery and reuse of used components in electronic gadgets will preserve the balance of resources and fulfill consumer demands.

The unsafe disassembly and processing of e-waste via outdated methods pose significant risks due to the presence of hazardous substances, such as liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, selenium, PCBs, arsenic, barium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, and lead. The environment, wildlife, and people are all greatly endangered by e-waste. Even in trace amounts, the presence of heavy metals and highly poisonous compounds like cadmium, lead, beryllium, and mercury may seriously harm the ecosystem. A considerable amount of e-waste is still managed by traditional methods such as landfilling and incineration, which are mainly focused on waste volume reduction. These practices result in adverse consequences, including the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere, the generation of contaminated wastewater, and soil contamination.

Electronic waste is increasing rapidly, becoming a serious health and environmental problem. Books are available on e-waste management, covering recycling, challenges, and government regulations. Urban mining of e-waste is now considered a way to reduce pressure on virgin mines and avoid unsafe disposal. As a result, sustainably managing e-waste and converting it into value-added products is key to a global circular economy.

The growth of e-waste is rapidly accelerating because of human and industrial activities, creating substantial resource and environmental concerns. Ecosystems are threatened, pollution increases, and resources are strained by increasing e-waste due to population and industrial growth. Still, there is an opportunity for transformation within this obstacle. Recycling e-waste through sustainable technologies recovers xiiimetals and produces valuable marketable products, driving a circular economy that reduces waste, lessens environmental harm, and encourages efficient resource use.

This book, Sustainable Technologies for Value Addition to Electronic Waste, is a comprehensive exploration of innovative and sustainable approaches to valorize electronic waste into metals, high-value materials, biofuels, and efficient waste management systems. The goal of this book is to provide researchers, students, policymakers, and industry practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the latest technologies and strategies for transforming electronic waste into metals and marketable products while fostering environmental and economic sustainability.

This book provides an in-depth examination of sustainable technologies to recover different categories of metals, such as critical, strategic, valuable, expensive, base, refractory, alkali, and toxic metals, as well as value-added products, covering advanced methodologies, flow sheets for upstream processing and downstream processing of metals and products, sustainable strategies, commercial feasibility, limitations, prospects, and applications. It includes detailed insights into the physical and chemical composition of electronic waste resources and their variations, alongside sustainable technologies for electronic waste management, recycling, and utilization. AI and ML tools are integrated to enhance e-waste management and analyze the environmental and economic benefits of waste valorization. By presenting detailed production process flow sheets, this book offers a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved, inspiring readers to contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

Key features:

Explores sustainable techniques for the recovery of metals, materials, and plastics from e-waste.
Describes sustainable (green) technologies for e-waste management.
Covers the recovery and separation of metals, materials, and plastics.
Discusses lifecycle assessment, e-waste management policy, and circular economy.
Includes e-plastic management and the conversion of e-plastic into fuels and materials.

This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers in environmental engineering and waste management.

Contents: