# PCB METAL CONTENT



## gaurav_347 (Nov 18, 2013)

Does anybody have like a graph or a microsoft excel spreadsheet where they have given ratios of all the different metal content in different kind of motherboards and computer parts. I found a one with cpu processors in this forum but no data on motherboards or other printed circuit boards yet!
Any help would be much appreciated. thank you


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## niteliteone (Nov 18, 2013)

Sounds like you are "Asking for free" for proprietary information that would only be collected by actual refiners of this material, that would be used to establish a projected value on future purchases.

Good luck getting such a valuable document for free :shock:


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## gaurav_347 (Nov 18, 2013)

i am ready to pay for it! :roll:


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## jeneje (Nov 18, 2013)

Are you wanting information by the piece, ton, types etc. There use to be a old post here that referred to PCB's (all types) that give the estimated value of one ton. Don't know how accurate the information is. I will see if I can find it and post the link.
Ken


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## gaurav_347 (Nov 18, 2013)

By ton or by piece, both would be great. Thank you.


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## jeneje (Nov 18, 2013)

I could not find the thread, but, here is the post I copied and saved. I don't know how accurate this information is or if it is. So, I would do more research on it. Hope this helps you out some.
Ken

*Here is some interesting info I ran across a couple years ago when I first started scraping computers for the PMs. I don’t remember where I got it but I think it might have come from the finishers discussion forum as that was one of the first places I found info about recovering PMs from electronics.

One ton (2000 lbs) of "average" circuit board from modern computers and electronics generally yields (in a very good system) between 8 and 11 troy ounces of 24k gold. This gold is found in a number of places, including the plated gold leads referred to earlier, on plated pins inside the connectors and on the board in a number of places and on and within the ic (integrated circuits) on the board itself. In addition, there will generally be around 10 to 20 times this amount in silver from the solder and other components (although depending upon the method of recovery, this yield may not be reached). Some types of electronic board have greater yields of silver and almost no gold; this is generally the board without connector ends and major ics. There are also minute amounts of palladium, platinum and other pgms (mostly in certain capacitors, but also in some chips and connectors). Your highest yields of gold in computer scrap especially are rarely from clipped plated leads, but from the processor/cpu, memory and other ics (which can yield 2 gm/lb or more, depending upon the type and age). Many of the older electronics and early computer equipment will be much much higher in volume, while the newest (97 and newer) I would surmise would be lower, although I have not processed enough to tell you for sure. There are, of course, many other places (like automotive catalytic converters) where you can find precious metals that may be recycled, but the scope of this section seems to be on electronic board/PCB so I will stay on that subject.

So (if the above is true) the average recovery of 1 ton PCBs would be 9.5 OzT Au & 142.5 OzT Ag

At todays market price 9.5 oz Au X 1585.70 = 15,064.15 per ton PCBs & 142.5 oz Ag X 28.38 = 4,044.15 per ton PCBs.

A computer has “on average” 2 lb CB in it (this is ALL boards – mother boards, RAM, Cards & HD/CD/DVD boards) so that is about $15.06 Au & $4.04 Ag per computer

On “average” you also get about $4 in copper aluminum & tin out of a computer (this does not factor in the copper in the CBs – only the copper from the wire)

This makes the average scrape value of a computer about $23. --- that is without factoring in the PGMs &/or copper in the CBs. It would be cool if someone could come up with those numbers as well.*


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## gaurav_347 (Nov 18, 2013)

Thank you Jeneje for the information.
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=16613&start=20

have a look at the above link too.


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## 4metals (Nov 18, 2013)

In your mixed metal fractions topic you have the assays per ton of the metallics. How many tons of boards does it take to get a ton of metallics? Even if it was 100% metal, which we know it's not, you are around 1 1/2 oz per ton of gold in your mixed metal. We do know that varies, but even so it is a long way from the 9.5 T.O. Au in the preceding post. I really do not like references like those being posted as they are only proof that you cannot believe everything you read on the internet. 

On average how many tons of material do you process to yield a ton of mixed metal?

Unfortunately because of the mixed nature of incoming scrap it is impossible to predict. Some boards are older and richer and some are newer and have less PM's. There are 2 ways these can be purchased and it depends on your equipment's ability to run lots separately, and just how small of a lot that is feasible to run separately.

You could process a lot that comes in and melt the fractions of metal that come off and pay on assay of the bar, that would yield the highest return. Those guys have an incoming per pound fee to cover the processing and usually charge for the copper added to the melts as well. Then they charge a percentage of the refining costs.

The other option is to figure out the value of the lowest possible blend and pay everything on that assumption. Unfortunately for collectors most guys doing what you do are doing the latter. But in todays world everyone wants their cash up front and they have to pay for that luxury, often dearly.


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## Anonymous (Nov 18, 2013)

The only people who have accurate (and I stress accurate) wide spread databases of yields per tonne for varying boards/processors/electrical items are end refiners. Users of end refiners will also have accurate assays of products they have sent in to refine. We have quite a few however as mentioned in a post above, it's hard earned data that is used for a competitive advantage in business and as such most will not be wanting to divulge it no matter the price offered.

There are some links to processor and chip yields on this forum but some of the data there is definitely inaccurate, often erring on the hopeful side so I would be careful basing any business decisions on that data. 

An alternative would be to invest the money to have samples of your own assayed if you're looking at this from a business perspective.


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## gaurav_347 (Nov 19, 2013)

Thank you guys. Since I am new to the recycling business i still have a lot to learn and without you guys it wont be possible. It takes about 3 tons of motherboards to get one ton of mixed metal fractions. The one that i posted in another thread was of lower quality boards from digital setup box for digital tv and router boards mainly chinese. I will post one more report in the month end from motherboards without cpu.


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## g_axelsson (Nov 19, 2013)

Great! It is always fun to read about the "Big guys" and what is hidden in the scrap that passes by.
I'm only a hobby refiner and so far I have only gone through 1-1.5 tons of circuit boards, picking the easy stuff.

Looking forward to hear about the yield on motherboards.

Welcome to the GRF! 8) 

Göran


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## steyr223 (Nov 19, 2013)

Göran said " 1-1.5 tons" 
Hum 55 grams..........


I would bet you still have a lot of stock
Out of that still needs to be done. 8) 


Steyr223 rob


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## g_axelsson (Nov 19, 2013)

Yes, I have a lot of stock left... haven't touched any of my pins and I have a lot of connectors with the pins still in the plastic. I prioritize recovery and reduction in volume. What I have done so far is all my fingers, most CPU:s and my plastic topped BGA:s and some odd stuff as dental material and gold plated aluminum.
Most of the 30 kilos of gold plated pins I've accumulated so far sits safe behind a mountain of scrap.

I have done some tests with pins but nothing in volumes, and then I have finished up the experiments I started a couple of years ago. Pins in AP can turn into a bucket of hard clay of mixed copper chloride and tin oxide! But I managed to get my gold out and I learned a lot on the way. :lol: 

But I have sent away a lot of gold in those 1.5 tons of boards, I didn't start collecting BGA:s and flat packs until a year ago...  

The upside is that my scrap yard doesn't know what I'm collecting so I get a price for the boards that I can live with, they have to earn some money too.

Göran


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