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Circular Economy 2024, 3(1): 100073 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cec.2024.100073
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 28 January 2024

Preparing polyethylene composites using nonmetallic fractions derived from waste printed circuit boards and shellfish waste: Toward synergistic waste utilization and circular economy

Show Author's Information Jiayao Tonga,  Shaoqi Yub,  Zhitong Yaoa( ),  Jingjing Jianga,  Hongwei Luc,  Ying-Guo Zhoud,  Hongli Yange,  Zhengshun Wene,f( )
College of Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
School of Scinces, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
School of Food Science and Pharmaceutics, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
Xianghu Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311231, China
Keywords:
Polymer composite, E-waste, Printed circuit board, Shellfish waste, Synergistic utilization
Cite this article:
Tong J, Yu S, Yao Z, et al. Preparing polyethylene composites using nonmetallic fractions derived from waste printed circuit boards and shellfish waste: Toward synergistic waste utilization and circular economy. Circular Economy, 2024, 3(1): 100073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cec.2024.100073
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Abstract Full text About this article

The recycling of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) generates nonmetallic fractions (NMFs); due to the complex components of NMFs and the limited nature of economic benefits of treating NMFs, treatment of NMFs is challenging. In this study, two types of NMFs—dry-NMFs (D-NMFs) and wet-NMFs (W-NMFs)—derived from the dry and wet separation processes of WPCBs, respectively, were investigated. These NMFs were used as fillers to reinforce the polyethylene (PE) matrix, and their effects on the composite properties were examined. Thermal property studies revealed that incorporating both types of NMFs improved the thermal stability of the prepared composite samples. When neat PE was filled with 15 wt% of D-NMFs and W-NMFs, the final decomposition temperature (Tf) increased from 475 to 482 and 487 ℃, respectively. Mechanical property studies revealed that the addition of NMFs to the composite sample, particularly that of W-NMFs, enhanced the stiffness of the prepared samples, although at the expense of some reduction in their toughness values. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus values increased from 9.41, 121.80, 5.89, and 99.15 MPa for neat PE to 11.15, 521.82, 17.94, and 597.29 MPa, respectively, for composites containing 25 wt% of W-NMFs. Furthermore, the introduction of shellfish wastes in the NMF/PE blend, especially that of clam shell, further enhanced the overall properties of the composite. After adding 8 wt% of clam shell with 15 wt% W-NMFs, the Tf increased from 487 to 498 ℃. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus values increased from 11.37, 355.13, 16.06, and 443.31 MPa for neat PE to 12.26, 466.73, 18.71, and 568.46 MPa, respectively, for the composite prepared with clam shell. Thus, this study contributes to the WPCB recycling literature and promotes circular economy development.


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About this article

Preparing polyethylene composites using nonmetallic fractions derived from waste printed circuit boards and shellfish waste: Toward synergistic waste utilization and circular economy

Show Author's information Jiayao Tonga, Shaoqi Yub, Zhitong Yaoa( ), Jingjing Jianga, Hongwei Luc, Ying-Guo Zhoud, Hongli Yange, Zhengshun Wene,f( )
College of Materials Science and Environmental Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
School of Scinces, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
School of Food Science and Pharmaceutics, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
Xianghu Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311231, China

Abstract

The recycling of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) generates nonmetallic fractions (NMFs); due to the complex components of NMFs and the limited nature of economic benefits of treating NMFs, treatment of NMFs is challenging. In this study, two types of NMFs—dry-NMFs (D-NMFs) and wet-NMFs (W-NMFs)—derived from the dry and wet separation processes of WPCBs, respectively, were investigated. These NMFs were used as fillers to reinforce the polyethylene (PE) matrix, and their effects on the composite properties were examined. Thermal property studies revealed that incorporating both types of NMFs improved the thermal stability of the prepared composite samples. When neat PE was filled with 15 wt% of D-NMFs and W-NMFs, the final decomposition temperature (Tf) increased from 475 to 482 and 487 ℃, respectively. Mechanical property studies revealed that the addition of NMFs to the composite sample, particularly that of W-NMFs, enhanced the stiffness of the prepared samples, although at the expense of some reduction in their toughness values. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus values increased from 9.41, 121.80, 5.89, and 99.15 MPa for neat PE to 11.15, 521.82, 17.94, and 597.29 MPa, respectively, for composites containing 25 wt% of W-NMFs. Furthermore, the introduction of shellfish wastes in the NMF/PE blend, especially that of clam shell, further enhanced the overall properties of the composite. After adding 8 wt% of clam shell with 15 wt% W-NMFs, the Tf increased from 487 to 498 ℃. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus values increased from 11.37, 355.13, 16.06, and 443.31 MPa for neat PE to 12.26, 466.73, 18.71, and 568.46 MPa, respectively, for the composite prepared with clam shell. Thus, this study contributes to the WPCB recycling literature and promotes circular economy development.

Keywords: Polymer composite, E-waste, Printed circuit board, Shellfish waste, Synergistic utilization

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Publication history

Received: 09 November 2023
Revised: 19 December 2023
Accepted: 09 January 2024
Published: 28 January 2024
Issue date: March 2024

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© 2024 The Author(s).

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Science and Technology Project of Zhoushan (Grant no. 2020C21014) and Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. LTY21B070002).

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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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