Collaborative disassembly and optimized hydrometallurgical processing for sustainable gold recovery from automotive PCBs

• Some SMDs inhibit gold dissolution yield during the hydrometallurgical process • Chemical characterization of SMDs is key to maximizing recycling efficiency • Cobots enable efficient, sustainable disassembly for gold recovery • Factorial studies reduced hydrogen peroxide use, improving yield and lowering costs • AI and machine vision boost disassembly precision and circularity End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) represent a valuable secondary source of critical and precious metals, including those embedded in Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. With the ongoing transition toward electrified mobility, demand for these metals is expected to increase significantly. Sustainable materials management and circular economy principles require recovering and reintroducing these metals into the supply chain rather than allowing them to become waste. This study investigates the recovery of precious metals from automotive PCBs extracted from SEAT ICE vehicle dashboards. The compositional complexity of electronic components necessitates tailored treatment strategies to achieve maximum extraction efficiency. The disassembly of Surface Mount Devices (SMDs) was performed using a collaborative robot (cobot), reducing operator effort and costs while also promoting circular economy practices among car dismantlers. Hydrometallurgical processing, based on a patented method, was optimized using factorial experimental design to minimize chemical consumption and achieve a Minimal Liquid Discharge (MLD) approach. Two scenarios were compared: direct leaching of whole boards, yielding 45.3% gold recovery, and selective disassembly followed by leaching, achieving 80.5% recovery. These results demonstrate the added value of robotic disassembly and the potential for scalable, industrially relevant recycling practices that support sustainable and efficient end-of-life vehicle management.