Shape characterization of copper metallic particles recovered from jig separation of e-wastes

Since copper (Cu) plays a vital role in the transition toward carbon neutrality due to its excellent electrical conductivity, environmental and economic advantages can be achieved by utilizing e-waste, which contains much more Cu metal than Cu ores. Therefore, the recovery of Cu from e-waste is crucial for ensuring sustainability and preventing the rapid depletion of natural resources. Due to the significant density difference between metals and plastics, gravity separation methods, such as jigging and shaking tables, can be efficiently applied at large scales. These methods are particularly attractive for e-waste recycling due to their low capital and operating costs. Besides, understanding e-waste materials at the particle-scale level can help improve the separation process by examining the behavior of each particle during separation. However, no literature currently examines particle shapes in the jig separation process for recovering Cu from e-waste. To fill this gap, this study explores the behavior of Cu particles in jig separation from e-waste through shape characterization of Cu particles. The fact that approximately 60% of the Cu in the feed material of the jig-heavy product consists of heavy, large, and round Cu particles shows that not only density and size are effective in stratification.