Recycling-oriented characterization of plastic frames and printed circuit boards from mobile phones by electronic and chemical imaging
Abstract
This study characterizes the composition of plastic frames and printed circuit boards from end-of-life mobile phones. This knowledge may help define an optimal processing strategy for using these items as potential raw materials. Correct handling of such a waste is essential for its further "sustainable" recovery, especially to maximize the extraction of base, rare and precious metals, minimizing the environmental impact of the entire process chain. A combination of electronic and chemical imaging techniques was thus examined, applied and critically evaluated in order to optimize the processing, through the identification and the topological assessment of the materials of interest and their quantitative distribution. To reach this goal, end-of-life mobile phone derived wastes have been systematically characterized adopting both "traditional" (e.g. scanning electronic microscopy combined with microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy) and innovative (e.g. hyperspectral imaging in short wave infrared field) techniques, with reference to frames and printed circuit boards. Results showed as the combination of both the approaches (i.e. traditional and classical) could dramatically improve recycling strategies set up, as well as final products recovery.
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Materials contained in EEE usually include base metals, precious metals, critical raw materials, and plastics, most of which are very valuable.
“Materials contained in EEE usually include base metals, such as aluminum and copper; precious metals, such as silver and gold; critical raw materials, such as rare earths, gallium, indium; and plastics [184], most of which are very valuable [185][186][187][188].”
From Material efficiency strategies to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings, vehicles, and electronics—a review (2019) · cites this paper as [184]
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- Authors
- Palmieri, R., Bonifazi, G., & Serranti, S.
- Affiliations
- Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Serranti, Silvia
- Venue
- Waste Management
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-11
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 2120-2130
- ISSN
- 0956-053X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2035667436
- Cited by
- 79
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 10.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waste Management (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Extraction and Separation Processes
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
- Keywords
- mobile phone recycling, plastic frames, printed circuit boards, electronic waste, hyperspectral imaging, short-wave infrared imaging, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, precious metal recovery, rare metals
- MeSH terms
- Plastics, Polymers, Cell Phone, Recycling, Electronic Waste
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