Elemental composition analysis of electronic waste using neutron-based analytical techniques: a novel approach to assessing environmental and resource recovery potential†

Development of environmentally friendly technologies and assessing economic return for electronic waste recycling require the determination of the mass fractions of valuable, critical, and hazardous elements in e-waste. Neutron-based analytical methods have rarely been applied to this task so far, despite their merits, such as multi-element analysis of solid samples without dissolution and no need for matrix-matched calibration. In this study, instrumental neutron activation analysis, prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis and in-beam neutron activation analysis techniques were applied to determine the elemental composition of two major e-waste types, printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. With a proper analysis strategy, most metallic and non-metallic elements relevant to the circular economy were measurable, or adequate detection limits could be obtained.