The research and development of an air separation conveyor for obsolete electronic products recycling

Electronics are a rapidly evolving industry with continuous development of new and progressive technology. The ceaseless flux of high-technology products into the marketplace is creating a serious environmental dilemma. Most electronic components contain a significant amount or material reources which have the potential to be recovered but instead are stored indefinitely or are dumped in landfills. Research and development in the electronics recycling industry must keep pace with electronics manufacturers if we are to avert a major environmental crisis.

In this thesis, a new separation process was developed and a prototype unit constructed. The machine described in this paper illustrates yet another method of material separation in the electronics recycling industry. Continued research and development in recycling technology is essential to ensure that the very electronics we seek today are not the same ones which bring on the environmental demise of tomorrow.