{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T22:04:04Z","timestamp":1770501844031,"version":"3.49.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"group-title":"SSRN","reference-count":18,"publisher":"Elsevier BV","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>The high demand for electronic devices is generating a substantial amount of electronic waste, which contains spent printed circuit boards (PCBs). PCBs are mainly composed of metals, with copper (Cu) being the most representative. The Cu scarcity in the Earth crust and the so-called digital and energy transition create additional stress to find innovative approaches to overcome this global problem.In this study, Cu recovery from mechanically pre-concentrated PCBs residues was studied using sulfuric acid\u2013hydrogen peroxide leaching followed by two alternative downstream routes: (i) direct cementation using steel wool and (ii) solvent extraction (SX) with the oxime-based extractant LIX 984N followed by stripping and cementation. Optimized leaching achieved 98\u00b10.05% Cu extraction with high Zn co-leaching (93\u00b10.02%). Direct cementation recovered 99\u00b10.01% of dissolved Cu, corresponding to approximately 506g of Cu\/ kg of concentrate, with 2% of Zn co-cementation. The SX\u2013stripping\u2013cementation route achieved high individual stage efficiencies (SX 93\u00b10.003%), stripping 90\u00b10.02%, cementation 91\u00b10.01%) without Zn losses. On the other hand, with low overall Cu recovery - 390g of Cu\/ kg of concentrate - due to dilution and cumulative transfer losses.The results demonstrate a clear trade-off between maximum Cu yield (direct cementation) and higher Cu\/Zn selectivity (SX route), highlighting the importance of normalized mass balance comparison in PCBs recycling flowsheet design.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.6183987","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T21:37:56Z","timestamp":1770327476000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hydrometallurgical Copper Recovery Routes from Waste PCBs: Cementation vs. Solvent Extraction"],"prefix":"10.2139","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-9801-5627","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"L\u00eddia  Maria","family":"Cunha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2285-6232","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Joana","family":"Monteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Nelson","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Andreia","family":"Azevedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2484-4788","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Aurora","family":"Futuro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5728-2887","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Soeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0992-1087","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Rui","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"78","reference":[{"issue":"10","key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5457","DOI":"10.1007\/s12649-020-01040-2","article-title":"Elemental Copper Recovery from e-Wastes Mediated with a Two-Step Bioleaching Process","volume":"11","author":"E Benzal","year":"2020","journal-title":"Waste and Biomass Valorization"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"935","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wasman.2013.01.003","article-title":"Study on the influence of various factors in the hydrometallurgical processing of waste printed circuit boards for copper and gold recovery","volume":"33","author":"I Birloaga","year":"2013","journal-title":"Waste Management"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3689","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.1c06173","article-title":"Optimizing the Leaching Parameters and Studying the Kinetics of Copper Recovery from Waste Printed Circuit Boards","volume":"7","author":"J Hao","year":"2022","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"ref4","article-title":"Leaching of base metals in PCBs and copper cementation by iron powder","volume":"15","author":"F O Konat\ufffd","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"194","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mineng.2018.05.013","article-title":"Studies on the copper extraction in a channelbased packed extraction device","volume":"126","author":"S Mondal","year":"2018","journal-title":"Minerals Engineering"},{"issue":"7","key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"897","DOI":"10.1080\/10473289.2003.10466230","article-title":"Selective Leaching of Valuable Metals from Waste Printed Circuit Boards","volume":"53","author":"C J Oh","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.susmat.2023.e00652","article-title":"A closed loop recycling strategy for sustainable recovery of group 11 metals (Cu, Au, and Ag) from waste PCBs: An amalgamation of low-temperature NH4Cl roasting, HCl leaching and cementation","volume":"37","author":"R Panda","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sustainable Materials and Technologies"},{"key":"ref8","article-title":"Solvent Extraction of Copper from Chloride Solutions with LIX 984N","author":"S Pandya","year":"2021","journal-title":"International Journal of Research in Engineering and Science (IJRES) ISSN"},{"issue":"10","key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1500","DOI":"10.2320\/matertrans.M2017147","article-title":"Leaching of Copper from Cuprous Oxide in Aerated Sulfuric Acid","volume":"58","author":"I Park","year":"2017","journal-title":"MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS"},{"key":"ref10","article-title":"Copper recovery from sludges generated in the electrolyte treatment plant of a pyrometallurgical complex","volume":"206","author":"D C Paz-G\ufffdmez","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hydrometallurgy"},{"key":"ref11","article-title":"Recycling copper and gold from e-waste by a two-stage leaching and solvent extraction process","volume":"263","author":"M D Rao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Separation and Purification Technology"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resourpol.2021.102170","article-title":"Evaluation of econometric models of secondary refined copper supply","volume":"73","author":"N Rivera","year":"2021","journal-title":"Resources Policy"},{"issue":"5","key":"ref13","article-title":"Copper Mineral Leaching Mathematical Models-A Review","volume":"15","author":"M Salda\ufffda","year":"2022","journal-title":"In Materials"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-386X(97)00036-4","article-title":"Copper recovery by the cementation method","volume":"47","author":"T Stefanowicz","year":"1997","journal-title":"Hydrometallurgy"},{"key":"ref15","volume":"170","author":"C B Tabelin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Copper and critical metals production from porphyry ores and E-wastes: A review of resource availability, processing\/recycling challenges, socio-environmental aspects, and sustainability issues. Resources, Conservation and Recycling"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/met10020293","article-title":"Selective Copper Recovery by Acid Leaching from Printed Circuit Board Waste Sludge","volume":"10","author":"H B Trinh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Metals"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2024.144286","article-title":"Towards resource regeneration: A focus on copper recovery from electronic waste","volume":"484","author":"F Yang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"issue":"1-3","key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhazmat.2011.01.051","article-title":"Leaching copper from shredded particles of waste printed circuit boards","volume":"187","author":"H Yang","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Hazardous Materials"}],"container-title":[],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T21:41:03Z","timestamp":1770327663000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ssrn.com\/abstract=6183987"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":18,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.6183987","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}