Characterization of optical storage media aiming recycling

CHARACTERIZATION OF OPTICAL STORAGE MEDIA AIMING RECYCLING

Denis Massucatto MSc.,
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Polytechnic School of University of So Paulo Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2 !" #EP $%%$&'$"$ ( So Paulo ( SP ( )ra*il denis.massucatto+gmail.com

Lidia Go es !a"#osa
,aculdade de -ecnologia de So Paulo Pra.a #el. ,ernando Prestes, "$ #EP $//2 '$!$ ( So Paulo ( SP ' )ra*il

P"o$. D". C%&udio Pa""a de La''a"i

,aculdade de -ecnologia de So Paulo Pra.a #el. ,ernando Prestes, "$ #EP $//2 '$!$ ( So Paulo ( SP ' )ra*il

P"o$. D". (o")e A%#e"to Soa"es Ten*"io

Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Polytechnic School of University of So Paulo Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2 !" #EP $%%$&'$"$ ( So Paulo ( SP ' )ra*il

P"o$. D". Denise C"occe Ro ano Es+inosa

Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Polytechnic School of University of So Paulo Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2 !" #EP $%%$&'$"$ ( So Paulo ( SP ' )ra*il

A0stract
-he consumption of optical media for data storage is increasing over the years, follo1ing the trend of electronics populari*ation. 2t represents a portion of 1aste 1ith a great potential for material recovery. #ompact dis3s 4#D5 are made of a disc of polycar0onate 4P#5, 1ith a thin layer of metal, deposited 0y D# sputtering, and covered 1ith a layer of lac6uer to protect it. -he aim of this 1or3 1as to characteri*e 1hat materials are present in a sample of #D'78M. ,irst, an amount of 2 3g of a single 0rand #D'78M 1as comminuted in a 3nife mill, using a & mm grid, to reduce the loss of material 0y po1der formation. -he material 1as then 6uartered. -he polymer characteri*ation 1as /

Massucatto made 0y loss of ignition at &$$ 9# for / h. -he characteri*ation of the metallic portion, %$ g of the sample 1as leached in nitric acid, 1ith a solid to li6uid ratio of /:/$ 4g.m; '/5, for 2 h and 2% <#. Scanning Electron Microscopy 1as made to determine de 1idth of the metal layer and punctually determine the composition 0y Energy'dispersive ='7ay spectroscopy. -he leached solution 1as characteri*ed using Atomic A0sorption Spectroscopy 4AAS5.

,e-.o"ds/ electronic 1aste, 1eee, recycling, #D'78M, characteri*ation

2ntroduction

>aste of Electric and Electronic E6uipment 4>EEE5 is the general term for the 1aste generated 0y o0solete electric and electronic e6uipment, 0oth from industrial or end'user consumer. -he Directive 2$$2?@!?E# from European #ommission esta0lishes rules for the disposal of >EEE, setting the responsi0ility of the reverse logistic to the manufacturer, distri0utor, government and consumer. -he EU generated an estimated !.% million tonnes of >EEE per year, and is the most gro1ing stream in the Municipal Solid >aste 4MS>5, 1ith an estimated /!'2&A gro1th every % years B/C. -he composition of >EEE is very heterogeneous, 1ith the presence of metals, ceramics and polymers, miDed in small amounts, discontinuously, 1hich ma3es the recycling very difficult. >hen optical media 1as released in early &$Es, it caused euphoria in the mar3et 0ecause its capacity of storage, several times the capacity of the hard'dis3s B2C. -he first optical media released 1as the compact dis3 read'only memory, the #D'78M, 1hich allo1ed the user to access the content 0ut 1as not allo1ed to change it. >ith the #D'7 and #D'7> the user could record its o1n data -he #D'78M is composed 0y a disc of polycar0onate coated 1ith a thin layer of reflective metal, usually silver or aluminium and an outer layer of paint, to protect the reflective layer.

80Fectives

-he aim of this 1or3 is to characteri*e a set of o0solete compact dis3s read'only memory 4#D' 78M5, to identify the 6uali' and 6uantitatively its components, e.g. polymer, metal and ceramic. -his characteri*ation is to determine the feasi0ility of a recycling system to 0e implemented in the future.

Characterization of optical storage media aiming recycling

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Materials and Methods

a. Materials

-he sample of o0solete #D'78M for the eDperiments 1as a donation from the #enter of Disposal and 7euse of >aste #omputers 4#ED275 of the University of So Paulo. -he sample 1as uniform, i.e. only one 0rand 1as used. -he nitric acid and sulphuric acid 1ere used 1ithout further purification.

0. Methods
-he comminution 1as made using a 3nife mill, 0rand 7one, model ,A2"$% 1ith a & mm diameter grid. 2nitially, a portion of 2 3g of #D'78M from a single 0rand 1as ground. -he material 1as 6uartered 0y alternated heaps and several fractions of distinct mass 1ere stored in clean 0ags. Particle si*e classification 1as made using the sieves at -a0le /. -his classification 1as done 0y /% min.

-a0le /: Si*e of the sieves used in particle si*e classification. mm H.@" .H! 2.$$ /.$$ $.%$ $.2% /$ /& "% !$ @ /! "2 !$ AS-M %?/!I MESG %?/!I

-he electron microscope images 1ere ta3en in a Philips e6uipment, model =;"$, 1ith and 1ithout gold metalli*ation, 0ecause the sample could contain gold. -he punctual composition 1as done 1ith an EDS e6uipment, coupled in MEJ, 0rand EDA=. -he metal content 1as evaluated 0y a6ua regia dissolution, at 2%<# for 2 h, 1ith a solid to li6uid ratio of /:/$. After de dissolution, the solution 1as filtered in a 6uantitative filter paper previously 1eighted and the solid remaining 1as 1ashed 1ith small portions of distilled 1ater to remove the acid eDcess. After the material 1as dried in a stove for 2 h, it 1as 1eighted and then the percentage of metals 1as calculated. -he chemical analysis 1as performed 0y ion chromatography, model 2#S"$$$.

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Massucatto ;oss on ignition 1as performed to determine the polymer fraction of the sample. An oven, 0rand Krion, 1as used. 2t 1as purged for " h 1ith argon fluD of ;.min '/. After that, the temperature 1as raised to &$$ 9# at /% <#.min '/ rate, and held at that temperature for / h, and then cooled, al1ays 1ith argon fluD. -1o grams of the sample 1as put in a porcelain cruci0le, previously 1eighted and dried in a stove. -he material 1as 1eighted and the fraction of polymer 1as calculated as percentage.

7esults and Discussion

2n one previous eDperiment, not reported here, it 1as sho1ed that a 2 mol.; '/ solution of nitric acid could remove the metallic layer of a #D not grounded. -hus, the milling 1as performed 1ith & mm grid to get a coarse grind and reduce the loss of material due to fine po1der. -he loss of material in the comminution 1as "A 41?15. -he results of the particle si*e analysis are sho1ed at ta0le 2 and the cumulative mass distri0ution can 0e seen on figure /.

-a0le 2: Si*e of the sieves used in particle si*e classification. mm H.@" .H! 2.$$ /.$$ $.%$ $.2% )ottom /$ /& "% !$ ' @ /! "2 !$ ' AS-M %?/!I MESG %?/!I Mass fraction 4A5 $.$$ .&H H%.H" /&.// $.@H $./$ $.$%

-he si*e classification sho1ed that more than @& A 41?15 of the material has a si*e greater or e6ual than / mm and there 1as a small accumulation of fines and po1der.

Characterization of optical storage media aiming recycling

,igure /. Particle si*e distri0ution of 3nife milling #D'78M.

SEM image and EDS spectrum are sho1ed in figure ". -he metal layer is a0out &%$ nm 1ide, and the ED= spectra revealed silver as the most a0undant metal, 1ith traces of aluminium and iron.

,igure 2. SEM image and ED= spectrum of #D'78M fragment.

-he theoretical calculation of the metal content in the #D'78M 1as made considering the eDternal and internal diameters, the thic3ness of the metal layer and the density of the silver. -he mass fraction of metal calculated this 1ay resulted in $.%H A, confirmed 0y the a6ua regia leaching, 1hich resulted in $.! A of mass loss. -he 6ualitative and 6uantitative analyses of the a6ua regia leaching are not finished yet and they 1ill 0e reported in the final manuscript. %

Massucatto -he loss on ignition of the ground #D'78Ms sho1ed a &$ A of mass loss, corresponding to the polycar0onate. -he other 2$ A correspond to metal plus ceramic 4oDides5 content.

#onclusions

>ith the methodology descri0ed herein, it 1as possi0le to determine 6uantitatively the amount of polymer, metal and ceramic present in a #D'78M. -he metal identified 1as silver, present as $.!A 41?15, 1hich is the most added'value material. -he polymer, polycar0onate, 1as present in &$ A 41?15, and despite its lo1 price, the amount can ma3e the recycling of this material profita0le.

7eferences
B/C 8LK8LD8 ,. 8., >2;;2AM 2. D. , #GE77E- -. M. 42$/$5: Go1 are >EEE doingN A glo0al revie1 of the managmentof electrical and electronic 1astes. >aste Managment, Article in Press. B2C S-E7L ). -. 4/@&%5: -he conundrum of optocal storage. #omputer #ompacts, !. 2$$'2$/.