A large quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is being generated because technical innovation promotes the unceasing renewal of products. China’s household appliances and electronic products have entered the peak of obsolescence. Due to lack of technology and equipment, recycling of WEEE is causing serious environment pollution. In order to achieve the harmless disposal and resource utilization of WEEE, researchers have performed large quantities of work, and some demonstration projects have been built recently. In this paper, the treatment techniques of typical WEEE components, including printed circuit boards, refrigerator cabinets, toner cartridges, cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal display panels, batteries (Ni–Cd and Li-ion), hard disk drives, and wires are reviewed. An integrated recycling system with environmentally friendly and highly efficient techniques for processing WEEE is proposed. The orientation of further development for WEEE recycling is also proposed.
CHEARI. (2012) Recovery for waste electrical and electronic equipment – industry research white paper. Available at: http://news.cheaa.com/2012/0612/326822.shtml (accessed August 2013).
2.
ChenDLiJ. (2005) Cadmium recovery process and modeling in the Ni–Cd batteries by vacuum distillation. Techniques and Equipment for Environment Pollution Control6: 28–35 (in Chinese).
3.
ChenMZhangFZhuJ. (2009) Lead recovery and the feasibility of foam glass production from funnel glass of dismantled cathode ray tube through pyrovacuum process. Journal of Hazardous Materials161: 1109–1113.
4.
ChenSChangCWangH. (2011) Mixture design of high performance recycled liquid crystal glasses concrete (HPGC). Construction and Building Materials25: 3886–3892.
5.
ChenX. (2012) The technology and pilot study of pyrolysis of waste wires, Masters dissertation. Tianjin: University of Tianjin.
6.
EspinosaDTenorioJ. (2006) Recycling of nikel-cadium batteries using coals as reducing agent. Journal of Power Sources157: 600–604.
GuoJCaoBGuoJ. (2008a) A plate produced by nonmetallic materials of pulverized waste printed circuit boards. Environmental Science and Technology42: 5267–5271.
9.
GuoJJiangYHuX. (2012) Volatile organic compounds and metal leaching from composite products made from fiberglass-resin portion of printed circuit board waste. Environmental Science and Technology46: 1028–1034.
10.
GuoJLiJRaoQ. (2008b) Phenolic molding compound filled with nonmetals of waste PCBs. Environmental Science and Technology42: 624–628.
11.
GuoJTangYXuZ. (2010) Wood plastic composite produced by nonmetals from pulverized waste printed circuit boards. Environmental Science and Technology44: 463–468.
12.
HeratSAgamuthuP. (2012) E-waste: a problem or an opportunity? Review of issues, challenges and solutions in Asian countries. Waste Management and Research30: 1113–1129.
13.
HuBLiJ. (2007) A treating process of resource utilization and no contamination on the waste refrigerators basted on Chinese situation. China Resources Comprehensive Utilization25: 18–22 (in Chinese).
14.
HuBZhangQZhangX. (2009) Four-position semi-automatic cutting technology for processing of CRT. Recyling and New Equipment of Waste Mechanical and Electrical ProductsBeijing, CN, 5June2009. pp. 35–40 (in Chinese).
15.
HuangKLiJXuZ. (2009) A novel process for recovering valuable metals from waste nickel-cadmium batteries. Environmental Science and Technology43: 8974–8978.
16.
KimDSohnJLeeC. (2004) Simultaneous separation and renovation of lithium cobalt oxide from the cathode of spent lithium ion rechargeable batteries. Journal of Power Sources132: 145–149.
17.
KoppW. (1990) Process for dividing up and recovering the individual materials from old cables. US4964577, 23/10/1990.
18.
LeeCKRheeK. (2002) Preparation of LiCoO2 from spent lithium-ion batteries. Journal of Power Sources109: 17–21.
19.
LiJXuZ. (2010) Environmental friendly automatic line for recovering metal from waste printed circuit boards. Environmental Science and Technology44: 1418–1423.
20.
LiJDuanHShiP. (2011) Heavy metal contamination of surface soil in electronic waste dismantling area: site investigation and source-apportionment analysis. Waste Management and Research29: 727–738.
21.
LiJDuanHYuanW (2009a) Case study of a Suzhou pilot project on the suitable treatment technology for scrap computers in China. In: IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 18–20 May 2009. pp 1–5.
22.
LiJGaoSDuanH. (2009b) Recovery of valuable materials from waste liquid crystal display panel. Waste Management29: 2033–2039.
23.
LiJLuHGuoJ. (2007) Recycle tehchnology for recovering resources and products from waste printed circuit boards. Environmental Science and Technology41: 1995–2000.
24.
LiY. (2008) The technique for the recycling of copper from waste wires and cables. CN200810022575.8, 8/18/2008.
25.
LinZLuSLuoL. (2009) Recycling of epoxy in waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). Environmental Science and Technology22: 1–3 (in Chinese).
26.
MaELuRXuZ. (2012) An efficient rough vacuum-chlorinated separation method for the recovery of indium from waste liquid crystal display panels. Green Chemistry14: 3395–3401.
27.
MéarFYotPCambonM. (2006) The characterization of waste cathode-ray tube glass. Waste Management26: 1468–1476.
28.
NieELuoXZhengZ. (2008) Trteatment of liquid crystal and recovery of indium from liquid crystal display. Chinese Journal of Environmental Engineering2: 1251–1254 (in Chinese).
29.
PanC. (2007) A stripping machine for scrap wire and cable. CN200720056173.0, 28/8/2007.
30.
PuckettJSmithT. (2002) Exporting harm: the high-tech trashing of Asia. Seattle: Basel Action Network Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.
31.
RuanJXuZ. (2011) Environmental friendly automated line for recovering the cabinet of waste refrigerator. Waste Management31: 2319–2326.
32.
RuanJLiJXuZ. (2011) An environmental friendly recovery production line of waste toner cartridges. Journal of Hazardous Materials185: 696–702.
33.
ShiXLiGXuQ. (2011) Research progress on recycling technology of end-of-life CRT glass. Materials Review25: 129–132 (in Chinese).
34.
The Ozone Hole. (2006) Ozone hole consequences. Pocono Pines, PA: The Ozone Hole. Available at: www.theozonehole.com/consequences.htm (accessed August 2013).
35.
TilmatineAMedlesKBendimeradSE. (2009) Electrostatic separators of particles: application to plastic/metal, metal/metal and plastic/plastic mixtures. Waste Management29: 228–232.
36.
WangDCaiZJiangG. (2005) Determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in soil and sediment from an electronic waste recycling facility. Chemosphere60: 810–816.
37.
WangH. (2009) A study of the effects of LCD glass sand on the properties of concrete. Waste Management29: 335–341.
38.
WangJHuangCYuH. (2006) Recycling of waste toner cartridges. CN 101109925A, 21/7/2006.
WenXLiJZhuF. (2005) Review of the physical treatment of waste printed wiring boards in China. Mining and Metallurgy14: 58–63 (in Chinese).
41.
WilliamsJShuL. (2000) Analysis of remanufacturer waste stream across product sectors. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment, San Francisco, CA, USA, 8–10 May 2000. pp. 260–250.
42.
XieJ. (2011) A multi-purpose wire-stripping machine. CN201120135994.X, 1/5/2011.
43.
YanGXueMXuZ. (2013) Disposal of waste computer hard disk drive: data destruction and resources recycling. Waste Management and Research31: 559–567.
44.
YangHXuXLiuW. (2011) Blood lead and cadmium levels and related risk factors among children in all electronic recycling area. Journal of Shantou University Medical College24: 30–34 (in Chinese).
45.
YangJReteganTEkbergC. (2013) Indium recovery from discarded LCD panel glass by solvent extraction. Hydrometallurgy137: 68–77.
46.
YokoyamaSIjiM. (1993) Recycling of printed wiring board waste. In: Proceedings of the 1993 IEEE/Tsukuba International Workshop on Advanced Robotics, Tsukuba, 8–9 November 1993. pp. 55–58.
47.
YuanWLiJZhangQ. (2012) Innovated application of mechanical activation to separate lead from scrap cathode ray tube funnel glass. Environmental Science and Technology46: 4109–4114.
48.
ZhanLXuZ. (2008) Application of vacuum metallurgy to separate pure metal from mixed metallic particles of crushed waste printed circuit board scraps. Environmental Science and Technology42: 7676–7681.
49.
ZhanLXuZ. (2009) Separating and recycling metals from mixed metallic particles of crushed electronic wastes by vacuum metallurgy. Environmental Science and Technology43: 7074–7078.
50.
ZhengYShenZMaS. (2009) A novel approach to recycling of glass fibers from nonmetal materials of waste printed circuit boards. Journal of Hazardous Materials170: 978–982.
51.
ZhouLXuZ. (2012) Response to waste electrical and electronic equipment in China: legislation, recycling system, and advanced integrated process. Environment Science and Technology46: 4713–4724.
52.
ZhuJChenMYuB. (2009) Recycling of scrap CRT glasses by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis. Rare Metal Materials and Engineering38: 134–137 (in Chinese).
53.
ZhuJNieYLiJ. (2003) Ni–Cd battery recycling technology using high-temperature vacuum distillation. Journal of Tsinghua University (Sciency and Technology)46: 858–861.
54.
ZhuS. (2012) Research on the renovation of lithium cobalt oxide from the cathode of spent lithium ion batteries by ultrasonic irradiation, doctorate dissertation. Shanghai: Tongji University.
