Production of Liquid Oil from Thermolysis of Electrical and Electronic Wastes (E-waste) under Microwave Irradiation

A preliminary study of thermolysis for producing liquid oil from electrical and electronic wastes (e-waste) has been carried out. Various efforts have been made to improve thermolysis process in order to obtain higher yield of liquid oil. The research aims to investigate the effect of temperature and types of e-waste on the yield of liquid oil. A domestic microwave oven was modified and used to produce liquid oil. It was connected with standard condensation unit with water circulating system. Three types of e-waste samples (computer or laptop case, hand phone case and electrical cables/wires) were employed. About 150 g of each samples was thermolysed at 350 degrees C, 400 degrees C and 450 degrees C under nitrogen flow of 0.3 LPM using activated carbon as an absorber and a microwave power of 900 W. The samples were characterised using TGA and ultimate analyser whereas heating value of the optimum liquid product was analysed using bomb calorimeter. This study showed that thermolysis temperature and type of e-waste affect yield of liquid oil. Maximum yields of liquid oil were obtained at 450 degrees C for hand phone case, 400 degrees C for computer case and at 350 degrees C for electrical cables. Among the e-waste studied, hand phone case provided the highest liquid oil yield of 56.2 wt%.