Common metals found in ewaste are the various ferrous metals, as well as aluminium, copper, brass, lead, and tin. Other metals include gold, silver, palladium, and magnesium.
Ferrous metals are the most common metal found in e-waste usually as punched and formed plates. Steel, along with iron, are ferrous metal alloys.
Batteries use different metals depending on the electrochemical process that is uses. Dry cells and alkaline batteries use zinc as one of the electrodes.
The so called rare earth elements are also used in in the items that make up the ewaste stream. Neodymium, one of the rare-earth elements, is used to make powerful magnets.
Ewaste can contain heavy metals, which is an ambiguous term that can refer to metals that are toxic. The four metals commonly referred to as heavy metals in the ewaste context are mercury, lead, cadmium, and chromium.
All metals are able to be recycled and it is theoretically possible to achieve 100% reuse.
Further information
- Metals at Wikipedia
- Heavy metals at Wikipedia
- Metals at the London Metals Exchange, a major futures and forwards exchange for metals
News article
Researchers at the US-based Critical Materials Institute (CMI) at Iowa State University are commercialising an innovative method of recycling rare earth metals by extracting them directly from scrap magnetic batteries.