Pooya Hosseini, Artur Klauson, Dmitri Goljandin, Brent Hendrickx, and Joost R. Duflou from KU Leuven, Flanders Make, and Tallinn University of Technology have published a new environmental performance assessment of an innovative mechanical separation process for waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) in the Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences (Vol. 74, Issue 2S, 2025).
The team applied Environmental Footprint 3.1, IPCC GWP, and Cumulative Energy Demand methodologies to evaluate a process that recovers copper concentrates and epoxy-ceramic fractions—offering an alternative to traditional thermal treatments that release brominated toxins.
⚙️ Key findings:
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Energy demand: 1658.7 MJ/ton of PCBs; CO₂ emissions: 99.9 kg CO₂-eq/ton
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Material yields: 7–12% epoxy-rich fraction; high-value copper concentrate
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Hotspot: Size reduction is the most energy-intensive step
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Optimization path: Regional electricity mix and transport logistics heavily influence overall impact
Despite energy intensity, the process shows clear potential for reducing environmental burdens—particularly when powered by low-carbon electricity and coupled with optimized transport.
Full reference:
Hosseini, P., Klauson, A., Goljandin, D., Hendrickx, B., & Duflou, J.R. (2025). Environmental performance analysis of innovative mechanical separation for recycling of waste printed circuit boards. Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, 74(2S), 291–301. https://doi.org/10.3176/proc.2025.2S.03
Acknowledgements:
This open access article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
