Investigation of pyrolysis for the recovery of metallic values from ball grid arrays

The massive generation of electronic waste has led to a significant interest in sustainable metal recovery and recycling. Ball grid arrays, mounted on printed circuit boards, are identified as a potentially valuable source of metals (Cu, Ni, Au, Ag, Pb, and Sn). In this study, pyrolysis is found as a promising treatment for the degradation of the epoxy resin of ball grid arrays. As a consequence, the liberation of metallic values and glass fibers is attained. The thermal analysis revealed that the major degradation occurs in the temperature range of 300–650 °C, with overall activation energy estimated as ~ 243 kJ/mol. The concentration of CO gas reaches a maximum value at a comparatively lower residence time with an increase in pyrolysis temperature. The metal enrichment was significantly influenced by the variation in pyrolysis temperatures with an optimal condition chosen as 600 °C. The metallic fractions (Cu, Ni, Ag, and Au) were separated from the glass fibers by water-based density separation and enriched in the sink product by three-fold. The recovery of Cu, Ni, Ag, and Au is achieved at 97%, 88%, 95%, and 96%, respectively. The metal fraction can be either used as a feedstock for the Cu smelting process or can be subjected to selective hydrometallurgical treatment. The glass fiber fraction comprises of Si, Al, and Ca oxides with potential application in laminate fabrication. High-quality gaseous products can be reutilized as fuel for other metallurgical processes. It can be concluded that 100 g of BGA yielded Cu ~ 23.7 g, Ni ~ 0.57 g, Ag ~ 23.4 mg, and Au ~ 73 mg after pyrolysis and density separation, which is equivalent to 1.35 kg, of primary Cu ore, 0.042 kg Ni ore, 4.68 kg Ag ore, and 14.6 kg Au ore. Graphical Abstract