APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STRIPPING SOLDER METALS DURING THE RECYCLING OF WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

• US 20140191019A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jiang, Ping, Chen, Tianniu, Korzenski, Michael B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,221,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/264
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 3/00 Destroying solid waste or transforming solid waste into something useful or harmless
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 5/00 Operations not covered by a single other subclass or by a single other group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/018 Unsoldering; Removal of melted solder or other residues
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 3/08 Auxiliary devices therefor cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes, e.g. before soldering, B08B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/00 Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted to a procedure covered by only one of the preceding main groups eye-shields for welders worn on the operator's body or carried in the hand A61F9/00 , i.e. A61F9/02; applicable to metal-working machines other than soldering, welding, or flame-cutting machines B23Q; laser protective screens B23K26/706; protective shields for other welding methods F16P1/06
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 1/005 Preliminary treatment of scrap C22B1/02 - C22B1/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 11/046 from manufactured products, e.g. from printed circuit boards, from photographic films, paper or baths
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 3/02 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 3/04 by leaching C22B3/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 4/00 Electrothermal treatment of ores or metallurgical products for obtaining metals or alloys obtaining iron or steel C21B, C21C
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 7/006 Wet processes
• CPC Class Codes: C25C 1/00 Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of solutions C25C5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/178 Demolishing, e.g. recycling, reverse engineering, destroying for security purposes; Using biodegradable materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/22 Secondary treatment of printed circuits H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/20 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/82 Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]

Abstract

Apparatuses and processes for recycling printed wire boards, wherein electronic components, precious metals and base metals may be collected for reuse and recycling. The apparatuses generally include a mechanical solder removal module and/or a thermal module, a chemical solder removal module, and a precious metal leaching module, wherein the modules are attached for continuous passage of the e-waste from module to module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing e-waste, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a mechanical solder removal module; and

(b) a chemical solder removal module;

wherein the modules are contiguously attached to one another.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical solder removal module comprises at least one blade and at least one agitator for the mechanical removal of solder from the surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chemical solder removal module comprises a container for a first composition and at least one agitator, wherein the e-waste is partially immersed in the first composition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heating module positioned upstream and/or downstream of the chemical solder removal module.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heating module comprises at least one agitator.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one rinsing module positioned downstream of the heating module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one rinsing module positioned downstream of the chemical solder removal module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a precious metal leaching module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the precious metal leaching module comprises a container for a leaching composition comprising tri-iodide.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the precious metal leaching module separates carbon from the e-waste.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the leaching composition further comprises at least one frothing agent and at least one collecting agent.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the precious metal leaching module further comprises frothing means.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising at least one rinsing module positioned downstream of the precious metal leaching module.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the e-waste comprises a printed wire board (PWB).

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precious metal comprises at least one species selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, and ruthenium.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the agitator comprises at least one brush, rake, or blown gases or liquids.

17. A method of recycling e-waste comprising:

removing at least a portion of the solder using a mechanical solder remover, wherein the mechanical solder remover comprises at least one blade and at least one agitator for the mechanical removal of solder from the surface;

removing at least a portion of the solder using a chemical solder remover, wherein the chemical solder remover comprises a container for a first composition and at least one agitator, wherein the PWB is partially immersed in the first composition; and

removing at least a portion of a precious metal using a leaching composition.

18. An apparatus for processing e-waste, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a heating module for removing casing or epoxied components from a PWB; and

(b) a chemical solder removal module,

wherein the modules are contiguously attached to one another.

19-33. -33. (canceled)