Transformation of glass fiber reinforced epoxy from waste printed circuit boards to adsorbents for effective CO₂ storage in abandoned mines.

ABSTRACT: Waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) pose environmental challenges due to their toxic and varied composition. Current recycling methods prioritize metal recovery, leaving non-metallic fractions (NMFs) underutilized. These NMFs can be converted into nitrogen-doped porous carbons with good CO₂ adsorption capacity. However, waste PCBs are dominated by the FR-4 type in which fibers comprise a large mass fraction and intrinsically limit carbon yield and accessible porosity. We report a targeted valorization route for FR-4 NMFs that couples one-step KOH/urea activation with post-treatments aimed at the glass-fiber/polymer composite: (i) aqueous ultrasonication to increase the surface area by enhancing surface roughness and fragmenting particles to smaller sizes, and (ii) amine function

SUBMITTER: Rubel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12821125 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature