Increasing the Added Value of Copper and Silver Metal from Printed Circuit Board Waste Using a Knelson Concentrator with Variations in Size and Centrifugal Force

Abstract

The use of technology in Indonesia has resulted in an increasing demand for electronic and electrical goods, including printed circuit board (PCB) waste. Currently, PCB waste amounts to 20-50 million tons and continues to grow annually. Given that the composition of PCB waste consists of approximately 40% metals such as Ag, Cu, Fe, Au, Sn, and Mn, recycling PCB FR-2 waste can significantly increase its added value. One effective method is employing a concentration technique to recover these metals. This study aims to investigate the impact of particle size and centrifugal force variations on the content and recovery of Cu and Ag metals in PCB FR-2 waste using a Knelson concentrator. The concentration process involved three size variations: -63+100, -100+150, and-150#, along with three centrifugal force values: 60, 90, and 120 G Force. The results indicate that the size variation-100+150# and a centrifugal force value of 90 G Force exhibited effectiveness in recovering Cu and Ag metals, with a minimal mass loss of 3.9%. The Cu and Ag levels reached 67.49% and 0.18%, respectively, with recovery rates of 53.22% and 39.96%.