Waste-minimization assessment for a manufacturer of prototype printed-circuit boards. Environmental Research Brief

Technical Report · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:6263394

Kirsch, F W; Looby, G P

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded a pilot project to assist small- and medium-size manufacturers who want to minimize their generation of hazardous waste but who lack the expertise to do so. Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at selected universities and procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). The WMAC team at Colorado State University performed an assessment at a plant manufacturing prototype printed circuit boards. Various processes are involved including photographic operations, drilling, scrubbing, laminating, etching, and plating. The majority of the waste generated by this plant comes from the plating process. The team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that the greatest waste reduction and cost savings would result from recovering copper, tin, and lead from the plating wastewater.

• Research Organization: University City Science Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6263394
• Report Number(s): PB-92-104355/XAB; CNN: EPA-R814903
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CONTROL
COPPER
DEPOSITION
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELEMENTS
ETCHING
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
LEAD
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PLATING
POLLUTION CONTROL
PRINTED CIRCUITS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
SURFACE COATING
SURFACE FINISHING
TIN
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL