Sustainable recovery of base and precious metals from waste printed circuit boards using alkaline glycine processes

Abstract

The thesis employs glycine processes to recover base and precious metals from waste printed circuit boards. Different alkaline glycine-based leaching systems were proposed and investigated in-depth. Leaching behaviour of various metals was discussed. Different options for copper recovery from leachates have also been evaluated. The thesis provides a sustainable and de-centralised hydrometallurgical approach to treat the problematic e-waste, particularly in countries like Australia where the e-waste volume is limited and the geography is vast.