Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are an essential component of modern electronic equipment and are one of the more promising e-waste sources of precious metals. For example, typical PC motherboards contain 566 ppm gold, 639 ppm silver, and 124 ppm palladium – two of which (gold and palladium) are more than an order of magnitude above typical economic ore grades. A considerable amount of research has been conducted by researchers and engineers to develop efficient methods and flowsheets for precious metal recovery from PCBs. In this webinar, a comprehensive overview of the existing recovery methods and flowsheets will be presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of each method and flowsheet will be evaluated. Moreover, research findings from a newly launched exploratory project funded by REMADE about precious metal recovery from PCBs will be presented.
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Wencai Zhang
Assistant Professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering @ Virginia Tech
Wencai Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech. Wencai holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mineral Processing and a Ph.D. degree in Mining Engineering. His research topics mainly include mineral processing, flotation chemistry, hydrometallurgy, and critical element recovery and purification. In the last five years, he published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and submitted several patent applications. His research promotes the cost-effective production of critical elements from various resources, especially coal-related materials. His research group is currently developing innovative extraction and purification methods for valuable metal recovery from various waste materials, including electronic waste, municipal solid waste incineration ash, end-of-life tires, bauxite residue, and coal refuse.