Analysis of Composition of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Components
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Abstract
Waste electronic and electrical equipment is the most valuable category of waste that needs detailed study. These wastes have a diverse composition of components that should be reused and it is important to dispose of properly. The article investigates and analyzes the quantitative and qualitative composition of components of different types of electronic and electrical waste. In particular, statistical data on the mass and concentration of major components, valuable resources, toxic substances were evaluated. The types of electronic and electrical equipment that are most common in waste and widely used by people in everyday life are considered. Household waste contains only 2 % of electronic components, but they contain 70 % of hazardous substances. These include: lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, chlorine, bromine, heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, liquid crystals, toner powder, and electrolytes. Among the valuable components: gold, silver, palladium, platinum, zinc, aluminum and others. General estimates of the content of valuable resources in waste electronic and electrical equipment show that almost the entire mass of precious metals is in printed circuit boards. For example, printed circuit boards for small electronic devices can contain from 120 to 280 g/t of gold. Refrigerators and freezers are very valuable, because 80 % can be recycled and reused. This equipment includes many valuable materials: copper, iron, aluminum, glass, PVC, mercury, etc.; even a dangerous component — Freon — is pumped out for further use. A detailed analysis of the component composition of waste electronic and electrical equipment makes it possible to more effectively manage the flow of this waste. By disassembling and sorting electronic equipment that is obsolete or broken, you can replenish a significant portion of the raw material base for the re-production of various devices. This will help reduce the extraction of raw materials and reduce the anthropogenic impact on the environment.
