Sustainable Pathways for the Efficient Recovery of Copper (Cu) from Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs)

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) account for approximately 3%–6% of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and contain high concentrations of valuable metals such as copper, often at levels higher than those in natural ores. Consequently, WPCB recycling represents an important opportunity for resource recovery through urban mining and supports the transition toward a circular economy. This study investigates the application of a Falcon centrifugal concentrator for the gravity separation of metallic and non-metallic fractions from WPCBs, with a focus on fine particles below 300 μm. Despite its potential, this method has received little attention, particularly in research. Optimal operating conditions were identified as 80 Hz rotation frequency and 1 LPM water flow rate for particles −100 μm, and 30 Hz rotation frequency and 3 LPM water flow rate for particles in the −300 + 100 μm range. Under these conditions, copper recovery reached 98.25% with Cu content of 10.34% for the coarse fraction and 95.97% with Cu content of 4.47% for the fine fraction after a cleaner stage. The results demonstrate that Falcon gravity concentration is an efficient technique for recovering fine metallic particles and outperforms the multi-gravity separator (MGS). A sustainable beneficiation flowsheet is proposed to enhance metal recovery and reduce environmental impacts.