Characterization of material outputs from an electronics demanufacturing facility

In a typical disassembly facility there are two classes of outputs, (i) retrieved parts or subsystems, and (ii) material waste. The material waste is shipped out to either a material reclamation facility or a landfill site. A clear definition of this material output is essential to the modeling and analysis of a disassembly facility. These definitions will determine the appropriate disassembly plan, process economics, and handling requirements. In this paper we introduce and define the majority of outputs from electronic disassembly plants. The work is based on studies conducted at several commercial facilities. For each output the purity thresholds, the most likely recycling paths, and the potential reuse values are discussed. Recycling costs tend to increase as the purity of the entering material drops. One of the purposes of disassembly therefore, is to enhance the purity of the output bins. A disassembly planner must address several questions in the context of the bins, such as: is it economical to further disassemble a subassembly so as to increase purity? Is there enough mass to warrant maintaining a high copper bin? We expect the results of this paper will permit the development of assignment type disassembly planning models. We identify eight classes of output bins: ferrous metals, nonferrous metals, sources of precious metals, packaging materials, glass and ceramics, plastics, hazardous parts, and paper. Specific bins are discussed in detail. Common sources of these outputs are also discussed, and the relative market value is evaluated.