Material Microsurgery: Selective Synthesis of Materials via High-Temperature Chemistry for Microrecycling of Electronic Waste

Abstract

This study aims to establish a novel pathway for transforming complex electronic waste into advanced hybrid materials by leveraging high-temperature reactions. This research utilized silica (SiO2) sourced from computer monitor glass; carbon obtained from plastic components of spent monitor shells; and copper (Cu) recovered from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) to produce a high-quality hybrid layer on a steel substrate. The transformation process consisted of two steps. In the first step, silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires were produced from the spent monitor's glass and plastic. In the second step, these nanowires were combined with Cu obtained by grinding waste PCBs to produce the hybrid layer over the steel surface. The Cu-SiC hybrid layer on a steel substrate was produced successfully by the judicious selection of waste sources and by selecting a microrecycling technique, which resulted in superior mechanical properties for the end product. This technique, proposed as âmaterial microsurgery', has the potential to transform waste materials into new hybrid surface coatings, which endows the base materials with superior properties to those seen in the source materials. For example, the SiC-nanowire-reinforced Cu layer added to steel in this study improved the hardness of the base material.