Ecology Treatment of Printed Circuit Boards

Abstract

This contribution contents one possibility of PCB separation due to the temperature due to the different thermal expansion of the metal path and the plastic from which the boards are made. The separation of metal and plastic may occur due to temperature changes if the temperature difference is sufficient. We have carried out a study of printed circuit board production so we can choose the appropriate path of separation. Furthermore, we determined the shear stress size required to tear the conductive copper paths from the epoxy resin. The temperature field in a two-layer board was modelled in simulation software FEMLAB and Pro/ENGINEER. From the simulated temperature field simulations, conclusions can be drawn that accurately describe the condition and characteristics of materials subjected to heat shock. In our own experiments, we used several ways to heat PCBs. After using the mechanical separation of the components, they were dropped from the PCB. Mechanical separation was also used when removing conductive paths. This separation is effective, but in the newer types of PCBs, the cyclical effects of thermal shock have to be applied to the separation of copper paths. Experimental tests have demonstrated the viability of the proposed method. The proposed method of recycling could lead to industrial use in case consistent sorting of waste electrical and electronic parts of old items.