Efficient recycling of glass fibers from waste printed circuit boards using metal-organic framework composites for photocatalytic degradation

In recent years, the disposal of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) has emerged as an increasingly serious issue, particularly concerning the non-metallic powder generated during metal recovery, which poses a significant challenge to the utilization of e-waste resources. Furthermore, numerous technical defects are associated with this process. A systematic method is presented for preparing glass fiber ball bundles (GfBs), which incorporate a variety of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to create GfB/MIL-125 (Ti), GfB/MIL-100 (Fe), GfB/Bi₂MoO₆, and GfB/Bi₂MoO₆/MIL-100 (Fe) process systems. This approach aims to increase the efficiency of recycling glass fibers from the non-metallic powders of WPCBs. This study aims to investigate the photocatalytic degradation performance of composite materials comprising glass fibers loaded with MOFs, specifically GfB/MIL-100(Fe), GfB/Bi₂MoO₆, and GfB/Bi₂MoO₆/MIL-100(Fe), on model wastewater containing the organic compound methylene blue (MB). These findings indicate that the composites exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency and good reusability. The synthesized MOF composites achieved photocatalytic degradation of 100 mL of a 50 mg/L MB solution, reaching up to 96% degradation in 3 h, with a residual removal rate of 85% after 5 cycles. This study provides novel insights into the recycling of non-metallic materials from waste circuit boards and the development of environmentally friendly photocatalysts.