# US 2014/0191019 A1 · Apparatus and method for stripping solder metals during the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment

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- Number: US 2014/0191019 A1
- Document ID: US20140191019A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/240,220
- Filed: 2012-12-13
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
- Inventors: Tianniu Chen; Michael B. Korzenski; Ping Jiang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191019A1

## CPC

- B23K 1/018: Unsoldering; Removal of melted solder or other residues
- B09B 3/35: Shredding, crushing or cutting
- B09B 3/70: Chemical treatment, e.g. pH adjustment or oxidation (involving an extraction step B09B3/80)
- B23K 3/08: Auxiliary devices therefor
- B23K 37/00: Auxiliary devices or processes, not specially adapted for a procedure covered by only one of the other main groups of this subclass
- C22B 1/005: {Preliminary treatment of scrap (C22B1/02 - C22B1/26 take precedence)}
- C22B 3/02: Apparatus therefor
- C22B 3/04: by leaching (C22B3/18 takes precedence)
- C22B 4/00: Electrothermal treatment of ores or metallurgical products for obtaining metals or alloys (obtaining iron or steel C21B, C21C)
- C22B 7/006: {Wet processes}
- C22B 11/046: {from manufactured products, e.g. from printed circuit boards, from photographic films, paper or baths}
- C25C 1/00: Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of solutions (C25C5/00 takes precedence)
- H05K 3/22: Secondary treatment of printed circuits {(H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107)}
- H05K 2203/178: Demolishing, e.g. recycling, reverse engineering, destroying for security purposes; Using biodegradable materials
- Y02P 10/20: Recycling
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- Y02W 30/82: Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment [WEEE]
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B09B: DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C25C: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## 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

### Claim 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

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

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

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

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

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

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

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

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

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

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

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

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

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

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

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.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

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

### Claim 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.

### Claim 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.

### Claim at position 19

-33. (canceled)