Review and prospects of recycling methods for waste printed circuit boards

As the amount of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) increases dramatically, methods to recycle them become increasingly important not only for economic reasons but also for environmental ones. PCB recycling methods include mechanical, pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical and biometallurgical processes. By comparing the different technologies available for PCB recycling, we aim to discover the limitations of different recycling methods, ways to overcome these limitations, and potential combinations of these methods so as to realize more economically sound and environmentally friendly recycling of PCBs.