Patent ID: 11884992
Assignee: NEWSOUTH INNOVATIONS PTY LIMITED
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  F  H  Y | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method of processing electronic waste comprising plastic constituents, metal constituents and ceramic constituents, the method comprising:
heating the electronic waste in a first temperature zone to a first temperature of up to 350° C.; and
heating the electronic waste from the first temperature zone in a second temperature zone to a second temperature of at least 850° C. at a rate of about 50° C./min or greater such that at least some of the metal constituents in the electronic waste are at least partially thermally transformed by melting, alloy formation and/or dissolution,
wherein heating the electronic waste in the first temperature zone and the second temperature zone occurs in a gas furnace,
wherein the electronic waste is not heated above a temperature of 1250° C. such that lead is not vaporized, and
wherein at least some of the metal constituents are transformed into a metal alloy.