The CAS knowledge innovation research project "Integration of Key Technology for E-Waste Recycling", of which prof. Cao Hongbin from Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) being the project leader, successfully passed its final acceptance on March 19. The evaluation meeting was organized by the Bureau of Resources and Environmental science and Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and five experts from different universities and institutes attended the meeting.

Along the rapid economic development in China, a huge amount of E-waste boards are generated and discarded, which will cause the pollution to the soil and occupation of limited land. Many kinds of metals with different contents can be found in these E-wastes. The disposal of these materials is wasting resources. With the fund from CAS, the researchers from IPE and Chengdu Organic Chemicals Co. LTD developed an integrated technology to recycle the different metals and polymers from E-waste boards.

The assessment committee evaluated that "A effective chemical swelling method was developed for the separation of metals and non-metals, helpful gradient dissolution for the separation of different metal ions, and synthesis of polyurethane flame retardant composite plastic from polymer substrate".