Abstract
Waste electronic and electrical equipment are complex mixtures of valuable and/or toxic materials, which pose serious challenges in their recycling or disposal, for example, electrical transmission wires insulated in polyvinyl chloride materials. These materials are frequently found contaminated with toxic chemical elements, such as Pb, Hg, Cr, or Cd, and are discarded without decontamination. To resolve this problem, we developed a microwave-assisted extraction process to remove toxic metals from plastic e-waste. We processed diluted (30wt%) citric acid at 210°C for 1h inside a pressurized vessel heated by microwave, and found it was suitable not only for the extraction of the toxic metals (∼100%) but also for a significant plastic recovery (>50wt%). To predict an optimized process window, the support vector regression machine learning algorithm was applied, which reduced the amount of experimentation required while still giving accurate results. Conditions optimized for the reference sample also led to maximum extraction of toxic metals from real-life extension cord waste. We also report that the recovered plastic's properties remained intact after the extraction.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
