Plasma waste recovery firm Tetronics says it has completed the first of four trials using its plasma technology in the extraction of precious metals such as gold, silver, copper and tin from e-waste. The firm is working with the support of Innovate UK. Another partner, mining company Vale, is dealing with refining the metals that are recovered.
Following planning and development at the Tetronics facility in Swindon, the trial involved printed circuit boards (from e-waste), which were fed into the Tetronics plasma furnace to separate out the valuable precious metals.
Tetronics says the results clearly demonstrated the benefits and success of using plasma technology in this application. “The process offers a much-needed, clean and efficient method of extracting both the precious and other metals with world leading recovery rates,” says the firm, which believes the success will help lay the foundations for the remaining trials of this project, and for the future of electronic waste recycling in the UK.
“Despite the successful results, the first trial was not without its challenges and the team has learned a lot in the recent months to help optimise the process for the next three trials,” said a statement from the firm. “We are now carrying on with refining of the material recovered from the first trial in order to complete the circular economy urban mining business model.”
