Extraction of Copper from Printed Circuit Boards in an Alkaline Solution Using EDTA

With the rapid technological development in the 21st century, the increasing consumption of electronic devices has led to a rise in the generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) due to the disposal of equipment considered obsolete. A significant portion of these wastes contain printed circuit boards (PCBs), which serve as substrates for the connection of microchips, resistors, capacitors, and other components. These boards are composed of various materials, primarily metals such as copper. Thus, this study investigated the recovery of copper from PCB waste (WPCBs) from computers through alkaline leaching, using EDTA and hydrogen peroxide at temperatures of 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C, with a concentration of 0.6 mol/L and varying particle sizes. Using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer, it was observed that the copper extraction process with EDTA at 0.6 mol/L and a temperature of 60 °C achieved a recovery rate of 78.6% for particles smaller than 0.177 mm after 180 min, following the Avrami kinetic model. The results highlight the potential of EDTA as a complexing agent in copper extraction, positioning it as a promising technique to reduce environmental contamination and recover strategic resources through urban mining through the recovery of metals from WEEE.