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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Copper from old PCB’s?
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Hi all.  I am sorting out all my old PCB's tonight, and I have more then 300 of them now.... So far, I have about 30kg of PCB's I plan to just biff out. The thought occurs that perhaps there are methods I could use to recover the copper from the boards. Do any members think this would be worth the effort? EDIT: Bear in mind, that pretty much 99% of all my boards use all the spare space on the board as copper-pour/ground-plane on both sides, so there is quite a bit of copper to be recovered..... EDIT: Photo time.  32kg now - and counting.....  ...and my 'New' PCB storage eight-story-building-thing. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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lew247 Guru  Joined: 23/12/2015 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1702 |
Linf for doc on how to do it  |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Cheers, Lew.  Have downloaded, and will read.EDIT: I realize that a good portion of the weight, will be the FR4 fibreglass PCB board itself, but it might be worth getting the copper back rather then just throwing it out.... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
As well as all the FR4 or PCB base material won't you also have to deal with any solder or tin plating on top of the copper? |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Probably, yes. I will also have to work out how to remove the soldermask. I know nothing about this, I am just throwing the idea out there, as some members may know exactly what is needed(read: have done this) and weather it is worth it at all. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
I have no idea about the practicalities either. My first thought would be if you are doing it for money then a not so simple cost/benefit analysis will tell all. If you are doing it to save the planet then depending on the processes and harzardous materials needed and by products created that need to be disposed of it may be a false economy. I do applaud you for considering it whichever way it goes.  |
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twofingers Guru Joined: 02/06/2014 Location: GermanyPosts: 1593 |
Hmm, very strange idea!   It reminds me on Ghana ...  I think it is very unhealthy and not worth the effort!   Remember: Copper costs about 4$ (US) per kg! EDIT: I estimate you have with the 30 kg PCBs about 3 kg of copper. Michael causality ≠correlation ≠coincidence |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4044 |
Maybe there's a recycling facility where you could donate them. Better that than landfill, unless it'll use lots of fuel to get to the place. John |
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| Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
I just had a thought. If the boards are not "internal use only", in that you don't want anyone to see them then you could. Divide them into 2 possible groups mostly PTH or mostly SMD. If you can ship one or a few economically offer them up as soldering practice PCB's. There are plenty of people on TBS that might want some soldering practice PCB's and it doesn't matter if they damage them while they practice to improve their soldering skills. |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6283 |
Our local refuse disposal site (the tip) has an e-waste collection pile. It is mostly used for computers and TV etc but I probably should be putting old boards there as well. NZ has to be more advanced with recycling than Australia so I assume you have something similar. The 'War on Waste' ABC TV show has an e-waste theme next Tuesday night. Jim VK7JH MMedit |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Small 'breakout' pcbs are always popular, maybe some sections could be cut up to make these, or all blank sections for small 'blank' pcbs? |
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plover Guru Joined: 18/04/2013 Location: AustraliaPosts: 306 |
Are there many groups of similar sized boards? Many similar sizes could be used for tiling a surface. Some artistic possibilities, any NZ artists specialising in odd things ? Estimate of surface area/kg ?? Laminated on to a workbench would make for a very durable surface?? I did a estimated calculation of transport to Australia using NZ site https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/rate-finder/sending-internationally/parcels/options?dest_country=AU&weight=1.5&weight_uni t=kg&dim_unit=cm&value=5&dim1=5&dim2=12&dim3=23&dim_type=parcel Is that indicative of transport costing? |
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Chopperp Guru Joined: 03/01/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1097 |
I thought you would have incorporated your old Lift (Elevator) project into your multi-story PCB park thing ChopperP |
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| paceman Guru Joined: 07/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1329 |
Grogs, if you're going to try to recover the copper (I tend to agree it's hardly worth it) then I think your biggest problem will be getting rid of the soldermask first. It's pretty inert stuff and I'd say the chemicals to remove it wouldn't be at all nice - and then you have to dispose of that! Greg |
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| Bill7300 Senior Member  Joined: 05/08/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 159 |
or just use a guillotine to use them up for making cases or enclosure for your other 1001 projects. They respond to the use of epoxy adhesives very well, probably not surprisingly considering the use of epoxy in the manufacture of the basic material and the resulting boxes readily paint up well.. Bill Bill |
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| Paul_L Guru Joined: 03/03/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 769 |
Could be some interesting abstract art work ...... maybe not. The case or enclosure idea has some merit. You could tell customers that you actually design your circuits to work from the outside in. Paul in NY |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Hi chums. Some very nice ideas flowing there. Lets say the recycling for copper idea is dead in the water, and we won't bother going any further with that one. I do very much like the idea of using old boards to laminate a work-bench - clever thinking! My only concern would be with dust and dirt that would inevitable find it's way into the gap between the PCB's - even if they are closely together. I guess you could smear a thin bit of silicone sealer along each one before offering it up a-la standard tiling methods - food for thought, that one.....I also figured that getting rid of the soldermask to get at the copper would be difficult, and then you have the chemicals for that to dispose of as Paceman says. Grinding them all up into fine bits, pounding them into an Anode and then using electrolysis as mentioned in the first reply on page one is a brilliant idea, but probably not practical unless you are a PCB factory and have TONS of PCB off-cut. I think they DO recover the copper, cos then they can re-apply it to new boards they make. That is a PCB house though. @ ChopperP - The old lift thing still exists, but it has now become a multi-story shelf in my shed! That project is one I still plan to do at some point. The one you remember me posting about years ago(thanks, BTW) was over-engineered, and should have been several orders of magnitude smaller to make it a more practical model. Live and learn.@ PaulL - Clever concept!  I have heaps of old QFP designs that might suit people wanting SMD practise, but when SMD practise 'Kits' can be had on eBay and AliExpress for peanuts COMPLETE WITH SOME OLD SMD.....much as I like that idea, I don't think it is economically viable once you factor in postage, which is now rather costly out of NZ, and a few PCB's are all it takes to push you up in weight to the next more costly price threshold. Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| ryanm Senior Member Joined: 25/09/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 203 |
Work bench idea sounds pretty cool. You would just have to arrange and do a thin epoxy pour over the top to give a level surface. People do it with all sorts of stuff. Just google 'epoxy table' and you'll have thousands of appropriate results. PS. If you feel like being super jealous of someone else's stuff do a google image search for 'live edge epoxy table.' So cool... |
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