USE OF E- WASTE AS THERMO PLASTIC
AND THERMOSET COMPOSITES
Mohammad Imran1, Mohammad Atif Aleem 2
1 Department of Chemical Engineering ,Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology,

Aligarh Muslim University, 2 Department of Chemical Engineering ,Zakir Husain College ofEngineering and Technology,
Aligarh Muslim University
1imrancool2415@live.com
2mohammadatifaleem@gmail.com

Introduction

Abstract :-The aim of this paper
was to investigate the feasibility ofusing glass- Nano metals, abyproduct of recycling waste printed
circuit boards (PCBS ) , to introduce e
waste in the production of thermoset,
glass – Nano metals were attainedby two step crushing and milling
processes . Glass – Nano metals
with particle size varying from 100150 microns used as filler inthermoset compound and all its
characteristics were calculated liketensile strength, flexure strength andimpact strength. All the results
showed that the use of glass – Nanometals as filler in thermosets
represented a promising method forresolving
theenvironmental
pollutions and reducing the cost ofthermoset, thus attaining both
environmentalandeconomic
benefits.
Keywords- E-Waste, Thermosets,
Thermoplastic

E- Waste comprises
discarded electronics
appliances, of which
computers and mobile
telephones are
disproportionality
abundant because of theirshort lifespan . The current
global production of EWaste is estimated to be
20-25 million tonnes per
year , with most E-Waste
being produced in Europe ,the united states ofAmerica and Australia .EWaste contains valuable
metals ( Cu, Platinumgroup ) as well as potential
environmental
contaminants , specially
Pb, Sb, Hg, Cd, Ni,
polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) andpolychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs). Burning E-Waste
may generate dioxins ,furans , polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons (PAHs) , ply
halogenated aromatic

7th International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Polymeric Materials (7th ISFR 2013)
New Delhi, India, 23-26 October 2013

hydrocarbons (PHAHs)
and hydrogen chloride.
E Waste Management
Electronic Waste is
becoming a crisis for thesociety. Huge
accumulation of e-waste
and their recycling throughprimitive means for
extraction of precious
metals is real concern inthe developing countries as
e-waste contains
hazardous materials.
Recycling of e-waste
through proper
technologies is, however,considered to be a
profitable business indeveloped countries like
India , China , Brazil etc.,
where manpower is
inexpensive andenforcement ofenvironmental laws is not
so stringent. Through thispaper we propose topresent an outsourcing
model where equal
participation of the formal
and non-formal sector isensured to make the ewaste business a profitable
one .

Recycling of E Waste
The populated PCBs,
constituting 3 to 5% byweight of total e-waste,
have rich value of metals
such as silver, gold,
palladium, platinum,
tantalum and other metals
in traces level. Their
recovery requires
professional skill and highcost equipments. The lackof knowledge , affordable
logistics and greed for

7th International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Polymeric Materials (7th ISFR 2013)
New Delhi, India, 23-26 October 2013

quick money motivates
non-formal sector toemploy unhygienic and unscientific methods forrecovery of valuable metals
such as Cu, Ag, and Au
etc.

electron beam processing.
Thermoset materials are usuallyliquid or malleable prior to curing
and designed to be moulded intotheir final form are used asadhesives. Others are solids likethat of the moulding compound
used in semiconductors andintegrated circuits (ICs).

Thermoplastic

Thermosetting Plastic
A thermosetting plastic , also known
as a thermoset , is polymer material
that irreversibly cures. The curemay be done through heat (generallyabove 200 centigrade) through achemical reaction (two part epoxy
for example) or irradiations such as

A thermoplastic also known asthermo softening plastic is apolymer that turns to a liquid whenheated and freezes to a very glassy
state when cooled sufficiently. Most
thermoplastics are high molecularweight polymers whose chainsassociate through weak Wan Der
Waal forces ( poly ethylene), stronger
dipole-dipole interactions andhydrogen bonding (nylon), or evenstacking of aromatic rings(polystyrene). Thermoplastic
polymers differ from thermosetting
polymers (Bakelite) in that they canbe remelted and remoulded. Many
thermoplastic materials are addition
polymers example vinyl chain
growth polymers such aspolyethylene and poly propylene.
Conclusion
We have used Taguchi’s design ofexperiment to determine the Mesh
Size and percentage composition ofcrushed e waste. Our aim is to make
Thermoplastic and Thermoset

7th International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Polymeric Materials (7th ISFR 2013)
New Delhi, India, 23-26 October 2013

composite by recycling of e waste
and its various properties liketensile strength, flexure strengthetc., to make a clean environment
free of e waste hazards

References:[1] J.Li, H.Lu, J.Guo, Z. Xu, Y.Zhou,
Recycle technology for recoveringresources and products from waste
printed circuit boards , Environ.
Sci.Technol. 41(6) (2007) 1995-2000[2]J.Cui, E.Forssberg, Mechanicalrecycling of waste electronic andelectric equipment : A review ,J.Hazard. Mater . B99 (2003) 243263

7th International Symposium on Feedstock Recycling of Polymeric Materials (7th ISFR 2013)
New Delhi, India, 23-26 October 2013