Leaching of metals from large pieces of printed circuit boards using citric acid and hydrogen peroxide

In the present study, the leaching of metals from large pieces of computer printed circuit boards (CPCBs) was studied. A combination of citric acid (0.5 M) and 1.76 M hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to leach the metals from CPCB piece. The influence of system variables such as H2O2 concentration, concentration of citric acid, shaking speed, and temperature on the metal leaching process was investigated. The complete metal leaching was achieved in 4 h from a 4 × 4 cm CPCB piece. The presence of citric acid and H2O2 together in the leaching solution is essential for complete metal leaching. The optimum addition amount of H2O2 was 5.83 %. The citric acid concentration and shaking speed had an insignificant effect on the leaching of metals. The increase in the temperature above 30 °C showed a drastic effect on metal leaching process.