Method and system for stack recycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The recycling of electronic waste, particularly printed circuit boards, is challenging due to their complex composition of materials, leading to environmental contamination and reduced recovery yield, as fragile components break down during shredding and incineration.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a counter-substrate applied to encapsulate and adhere to the constituents of a stack, which is then separated from the carrier substrate, using a sacrificial layer to maintain integrity and prevent contamination, allowing for the recovery of high-value constituents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional shredding and incineration methods are used to recycle electronic waste, then processing efficiency is improved, but material purity and recovery yield deteriorate due to contamination from fragile metal and coating layers
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device stack is segmented into distinct layers (carrier substrate, functional layers, counter-substrate) that can be separated individually. The delamination process divides the stack into separable components, allowing each material type to be recovered separately without contamination from other materials.
Solution Approach 2:
Fragile metal and coating layers are extracted from the carrier substrate before the main recycling process. By removing these sensitive components first through controlled delamination, they can be recovered separately without being contaminated by the shredding process that follows.
2Loss of time
If immediate disassembly of electronic device stacks is performed, then recycling speed is improved, but contamination of recovered materials increases due to breakage of fragile components
Solution Approach 1:
The counter-substrate is applied in advance to protect fragile components before disassembly. This preliminary protective action prevents breakage during subsequent handling and recycling processes, allowing faster processing without sacrificing material quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The counter-substrate acts as a protective cushion for fragile metal and coating layers. This beforehand protection prevents contamination from breakage during the recycling process, enabling faster processing while maintaining material purity.
3Manufacturing precision
If a temporary counter-substrate layer is added to preserve constituent integrity, then material recovery quality is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The counter-substrate serves as an intermediary layer between the carrier substrate and the recycling process. This intermediate element protects fragile components during handling and enables their recovery in high quality, while the simple structure of the counter-substrate keeps the added complexity minimal.
Solution Approach 2:
The counter-substrate is designed as a temporary, disposable layer that is applied to protect constituents during recycling, then discarded after serving its protective function. This approach maintains high recovery quality without requiring complex recovery systems for the counter-substrate itself.
4Speed
If fragile metal and coating layers are removed during recycling, then processing speed is improved, but contamination of recovered plastics increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stack is segmented so that metal and coating layers are separated from the plastic carrier substrate through delamination. This segmentation allows plastics to be recovered without contamination from fragile components that have been removed as separate layers.
Solution Approach 2:
Metal and coating layers are extracted from the plastic carrier substrate before the main recycling process. By taking out these fragile components first, the remaining plastic material can be processed and recovered without contamination from breakage debris.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Preserves the integrity of recyclable materials by encapsulating them in a counter-substrate, preventing hazardous particulates and maximizing recovery yield without contamination, facilitating closed-loop recycling.
Implementation Method 1
applying a counter-substrate onto the first side of the carrier substrate to encapsulate and/or adhere to the set of constituents
Implementation Method 2
providing the stack with a sacrificial layer configured to deliberately degrade, dissolve, disrupt, or weaken the adhesive strength of the sacrificial layer with the carrier substrate
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A method and system for recycling a stack (10). The stack (10) comprises a set of constituents (11) disposed on a first side of a carrier substrate (12). A counter-substrate (13) is applied onto the first side of the carrier substrate (12) to encapsulate and/or adhere to the set of constituents (11). Preferably, the counter-substrate (13) is applied as an at least partially liquefied material (13m). The carrier substrate (12) is isolated from the set of constituents (11) by separating the counter-substrate (13) from the carrier substrate (12). Preferably, the stack (10) comprises a sacrificial layer (14) between the carrier substrate (12) and the set of constituents (11) for facilitating the separating. For example, the separation may be initiated by applying a trigger to the sacrificial layer (14). Advantageously, the counter-substrate (13) may hold together the set of constituents (11), e.g. while the sacrificial layer (14) may be disintegrated.