Clay Minerals Effects for Metal Reclamation from Leached Solution

Abstract

The recent advancements in technology play a pivotal role in mankind’s life and have a significant stint in the generation of E-waste. The present investigation focuses on the recovery of heavy metals from Printed Circuit boards (PCBs) by applying two efficient techniques viz., leaching and adsorption. A combination of leaching and adsorption is a novel and productive approach to recovering heavy metals from like PCBs. After the phases of chemical leaching, the solution was recovered through adsorption and is eco-friendly. The process is carried out to increase the separation rate, reduce the time spent and reach the limits of incineration and pyrolysis methods. Adsorption provides the recovery of heavy metals with respect to the required adsorbent since it is a surface phenomenon. The optimum condition of process variables was found through response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum recovery of copper ions (97.33%) was obtained at the optimum operating conditions such as adsorbent size of 0.04 mm, adsorbent dosage of 3.5 gm L−1 and the temperature of 80°C with 0.845 desirability. This investigation was found to be an eco-friendly way to recover copper ions and does not cause any environmental issues.