Chain impact mill

[kjavanb123]

On a small scale I read about (but cannot find) a article/post for PCB pyrolysis using a Dutch kettle cast iron pot with a lid.

A pipe was threaded into the bottom center of the pot. The pipe top was a few inches from the top to allow the gas to vent into the flame from a burner that the pot sat on.

I wish I could find the link because I thought it was a genius way to simply process SMDs and PCB on a small scale.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Deano had posted the paint design on what you are talking about, I built a system based on that which worked great for pyrolysis of components.

But it was not working for PCBs, so many toxic fumes. I have always try to find alternative to that.

 

[kjavanb123]

When you compare the efficiency of the pyrometallurgy process, on a large scale, do you really think it's reasonable to try to shred/mill/concentrate the stuff?

To even begin to start the pyrometallurgy process you need incinerate, crush and sift to get the material to melt. To use Kevin's method you would need to shred, and sift to get the material to melt.

Incineration is expensive between air permits and buying an incinerator. Entry level small incinerators go for $20K just for the unit, not talking stacks and permitting.

Chain mills (I have since looked them up after reading this thread) are available for $5K and their capacity is greater than incineration on a daily basis. http://gold-mill.com/Products.html Kevin has proven that for circuit boards they will separate the metal fraction from the boards. That is a big plus.

When I refined, the only reason I went through all of the effort to produce a sample-able powder and a sample-able copper base bullion was to be paid for what was there from the smelter / refiner. You give that up when you sell it upstream.

I will try to run a test with identical populated circuit boards.

 

[rickzeien]

On a small scale I read about (but cannot find) a article/post for PCB pyrolysis using a Dutch kettle cast iron pot with a lid.

A pipe was threaded into the bottom center of the pot. The pipe top was a few inches from the top to allow the gas to vent into the flame from a burner that the pot sat on.

I wish I could find the link because I thought it was a genius way to simply process SMDs and PCB on a small scale.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

Deano had posted the paint design on what you are talking about, I built a system based on that which worked great for pyrolysis of components.

But it was not working for PCBs, so many toxic fumes. I have always try to find alternative to that.

Thanks for the info. I was going to try on PCB but will now keep looking also.

Sent from my LG-H872 using Tapatalk

 

[snoman701]

When you compare the efficiency of the pyrometallurgy process, on a large scale, do you really think it's reasonable to try to shred/mill/concentrate the stuff?

To even begin to start the pyrometallurgy process you need incinerate, crush and sift to get the material to melt. To use Kevin's method you would need to shred, and sift to get the material to melt.

Incineration is expensive between air permits and buying an incinerator. Entry level small incinerators go for $20K just for the unit, not talking stacks and permitting.

Chain mills (I have since looked them up after reading this thread) are available for $5K and their capacity is greater than incineration on a daily basis. http://gold-mill.com/Products.html Kevin has proven that for circuit boards they will separate the metal fraction from the boards. That is a big plus.

When I refined, the only reason I went through all of the effort to produce a sample-able powder and a sample-able copper base bullion was to be paid for what was there from the smelter / refiner. You give that up when you sell it upstream.

I'm sorry...I meant processing boards on a large scale with mechanical depopulation/grinding vs just sending them off to one of the large refineries.

You can get a chain mill much cheaper than 5k. I've used an RJ Rock Crusher and new cost is around 900.

 

[IdahoMole]

For myself it isn't necessarily about profitability or the most efficiency, it is about learning a process. Smelting anything and building a copper cell is largely new territory. I enjoy the challenge of learning new things. Eliminating the need to burn anything simplifies the process greatly. I can fund a hobby with my day job so the shiney metal at the end is just the reward for hard work.

 

[kjavanb123]

Hi everone,

A little update on this project. I cut 25 kg (~ 50 lbs) of depopulated circuit boards and I am guessing at least another 30 kg is left to cut manuallly.



I will time the mill to pulverize the entire cut boards so I can calculate the capacity and speed of mill.

After that there will be panning, smelting copper and sparging it to get pure copper.

Stay tuned.


Best regards
KJ

 

[Smack]

I would say the chain/hammer mill is slightly louder. If I'm going to be in my shop when the ball mill is running, I will put a large cardboard box over it. The 5 layer gaylords really quiet it down.

Thanks for the tip. I will try this out.

Here is a company that makes enclosures and a link to an auction site that has a used enclosure.

http://tamerind.com

https://tinyurl.com/yc92mxrf

 

[kjavanb123]

I would say the chain/hammer mill is slightly louder. If I'm going to be in my shop when the ball mill is running, I will put a large cardboard box over it. The 5 layer gaylords really quiet it down.

Thanks for the tip. I will try this out.

Here is a company that makes enclosures and a link to an auction site that has a used enclosure.

http://tamerind.com

https://tinyurl.com/yc92mxrf

Thanks Smack.

 

[kjavanb123]

Update,

I used stuff in hand to resolve the dust pollution from this mill.

First change, the output bucket increased from a 10 liter bucket to this 25 gallon bucket with cap on seal.

I also used spare tire, and cut it to seal off the door for the mill, output port the enters the 25 gallon bucket, also to seal off the output pipe that comes out of pucket and goes into another bucket filled with water and soap to collect the dust.



That design did not go well, as there was still dust. So I changed it in a way a vacuum is connected to bucket and is sealed off.

It seemed to work on initial test, will run fee lbs of boards to see if this design works.


I have been timing since the mill starts to the shut down, based on guesstimate this mill is capable of pulverizing about a kilogram of shredded blank boards per hour.

A more accurate figure will be known once I finished running all boards in the mill.

Thanks
Kj

 

[kjavanb123]

Update on dust control with vacuum, it works perfectly no dusts at all and no smell. This size vacuum is good for this size mill.

 

[anachronism]

I have been timing since the mill starts to the shut down, based on guesstimate this mill is capable of pulverizing about a kilogram of shredded blank boards per hour.

So it's not viable financially. 24Kg per day with someone to man the process. An interesting diversion at best. Park it and move on Kevin.

 

[IdahoMole]

A kilogram an hour doesn't seem right to me. I have never used a piece of equipment like this but i would think it would chew up a kilogram of boards in a minute or two.

 

[kjavanb123]

Hi

This was copied and put together to see its performance for scrap boards, capacity was my second objective.

This design can go bigger on motor and number of chains which also means bigger chamber, that would make processing a kilogram of boards per few minutes viable.

Again this was just prototype, and its output got the 20% recovery rate that was aimed for.

Regards
KJ

 

[IdahoMole]

How are the chains holding up to the circuit boards?

 

[kjavanb123]

Hi

I haven't noticed any wear out on the chains yet. So far I processed 20 kg shredded blank board.

 

[cuchugold]

I'd love to see the shaker table design.

 

[kjavanb123]

Update,

As I process the blank board in chain mill I time myself, based on what I milled so far and time took, put the capacity of my mill to 3 kg per hour ( ~ 6 lbs / hr ).

Again, this was my first version, a bigger electro motor 8hp or bigger, and larger chamber with more chains would increase the throughput.

Shaker table will be after I completed the milling of shredded blank boards.

Best regards
Kj

 

[IdahoMole]

Kevin, if i remember correctly you started with 5mm discharge holes and then discussed making them much smaller. Did you make that change? If so how is it working? What particle size is the mill producing and are you happy with it?
Thanks,
Jason

 

[kjavanb123]

Hi Jason,

I did not change the output size of 5mm, based on results I got from processing the fine boards and copper recovered seems like 5mm is the right size.

I will finish pulverizing boards and separate copper soon.

Best regards
KJ

 

[kjavanb123]

Update,

As I am separating copper from pulverized blank PCBs, noticed the greater volume of shredded boards I feed to mill the greater volume of output becomes fine.

Also as non-metalics grow, I came accross this article about using non metallics of PCBs into bricks.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ielx5/5971803/6076205/06076214.pdf?tp=&arnumber=6076214&isnumber=6076205

Best regards
KJ