13 th International Project Week Lecturer: Stoyan Gaydardzhiev Participants: Laura Bauer Christoph Deckert Michael Grohme Carolin Gutsche Maximilian Hoeflich Roni Jojo Norman Knabe Johannes Lemberger Robert Quensel Stefan Schlote Nick Wachsmuth Mutaz Yunan Djafarov Oumorou Processing and recycling of industrial solid wastes

E-waste WEEE (waste electric and electronic equipment) Worldwide: 40 Mil tons per year Germany: 2 Mil tons per year E-waste is currently growing at around 4% per year 80% end up in developing countries

E-waste What is E-waste? E-waste is produced during the construction as well as during the use of electric and electronic hardware complex heterogeneous mix of material consists of recyclable fractions of many different sizes, types and shapes WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC Reduction, avoidance, ecological disposal Responsibility of producers

E-waste Problems of E-waste increasing amount of WEEE risk of illegal waste shipment hazardous substances damage natural resources and human health

Cell phones: a significant part of e-waste 1.2 billion handsets are sold worldwide every year people use their cell phone for only 18 months In Germany: at least 60 mio unused phones in people s drawers Source: http://www.focus.de/digital/handy/mobile-world-congress-2010/mobiltelefone-recycling-statt-schublade_aid_479738.html

Cell phones: a significant part of e-waste 140,000,000 cell phones end up in landfills p.a. worldwide Contain 4,7 Tons of gold = approx. 56 mil $ 49 Tons of silver = approx. 8.4 mil $ Source: http://sayiamgreen.com/infographic/environmental-impact-of-cell-phones/

Risk of hazardous materials these 140,000,000 cell phones: 36 t of lead seep into the earth brominated flame retardants, cadmium hazardous substances damage natural resources and human health pollute water, soils and crops Source: http://sayiamgreen.com/infographic/environmental-impact-of-cell-phones/

Why recycling is difficult! very heterogeneous waste proper treatment is technologically demanding and very expensive

Material composition of a cell phone Copper 15% Other includes precious metals: Silver: 0.5% Gold: <0.1% Palladium: <0.1% Plastics 50% Other 9% Ferrous metal 3% Glass, ceramics 15% Cobalt/Lithium 4% Carbon 4% Source: Basel Convention, 2006 precious metals are the most valuable materials in cell phones

Material composition A ton of used phones (ca. 6,000 units) contain: about 3.5 kilograms of silver, 340 grams of gold, 140 grams of palladium, and 150 kilograms of copper Combined value: over US $15,000 (in 2006) Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140919.htm

Recycling potential very high potential recovery rates 99% for copper, 98% for gold, and 90% for silver, palladium and platinum in comparison to actual mining only small fraction of the CO2 emissions, land degradation and hazardous emissions are generated recovering 10 kg of aluminum via recycling <10% of the energy required for primary production is needed prevents creation of toxic gases and substances recycled metals are valuable secondary raw material conservation of primary resources protection of the environment

How can weee recycle? based on WEEE Directive producers are responsible for their products at endof-life mail it in or give it to collection facility money used to support environmental organizations

Improve mobile phone recycling Increase collection rate Mobilise frozen phones stop uncontrolled export and backyard recycling make sure phones are recycled properly

Waste Flow sheet Simple Representation of Recycling of Cell Phones Disassembling Toxic Material (Battery) Shredder Ferrous Material Magnetic Separation Non-Ferrous Material Eddy current Separation Conductive Material Cu, Al, Zn, (and also some Non-Conductive Material) Non-Conductive Material (Plastic, Glass )

Flow sheet - continued Conductive Material Cu, Al, Zn, (and also some Non-Conductive Material) Non-Conductive Material (Plastic, Glass ) Electrostatic Separation Conductive Material (Cu, Al, Zn, ) The rest of the Non- Conductive Material Density Separation Plastic Glass Air Separation Photometric Separation landfill Metallic concentrate PVC Pink PE White HIPS Black Smelting

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