AQUATEST a.s. consulting and engineering services

2. AQUATESTa.s.consulting and engineering services • The environment • Water management • Recycling lines and waste • Remediation and Remedial supervision • Accredited environmental laboratory

3. AQUATESTa.s. company information 700 clients annually 10 milEUR average annual turnover 210 average number of employees countries project managementexperience 14regional offices in the Czech Republic 3 joint-venture companies ISO 9001 ISO 14001 OHSAS 18001 certifiedintegrated management systems

4. DEVELOPMENT OF MODULAR TECHNOLOGY FOR THE RECYCLING OF PLASMA AND LCD SCREENSTESTING MODULAR LINECapacity 250 kg/hour

5. The research project attempts to find: • the optimal way of recycling plasma, LCD and flat CRT screens, • utilize the components obtained and minimize hazardous materials. This was done using a modular line with capacity 250 kg/hour (400 t/year) and by processing a representative sample (3 t) of the above-mentioned types of screens.

6. PLASMA SCREENS The front of the screen is made up of two glass sheets only 100 m apart. The area between the glass is filled with a mixture of two inert gasses which are ionized by a strong electric field. The screen display area is divided into separate chambers to which are associated basic colors – red, green and blue.

7. PLASMA SCREENS THE SCREENS ARE MADE UP OF: • Al support, • plastic frame, • the glass screen, • plastic glue for sticking the glass parts to the Al support, • chipboard mains connectors (containing Au and Ag), • luminophore (without Cd), • magnesium oxide and screws COMPOSITION • Significant parts of the recycling process are the retrieval of : • Al, • glass • and the removal of luminophore.

8. LCD SCREENS The principle of LCD screens is based on the change of transmissibility of liquid crystals caused by an electric field. The amount of liquid crystals in the display is approx. 1 g per 1 kg of display i.e. approx 100 mg per regular screen. Problematic parts of LCD screens are their florescent tubes which contain Hg. Removal of these substances from the screens is done through an ecological recycling process.

9. LCDSCREENS COMPOSITION LCD screens have very different content of components based on their type, size and manufacturer in particular dealing with the external box. Regular screens are produced from Fe but some portable types are made of Al or plastic. In contrast, the specific proportion of light sources and electrical elements is similar with only small differences.

10. FLAT CRT SCREENS Flat CRT screens are the latest development in the CRT type of classical “bulky” screens. They are distinguishable by their flat front. The make up of the glass is practically the same for both the screen and for the cone.

11. IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT EQUIPMENT A METHOD OF RESISTIVE SEPARATION BY THERMAL SHOCKWAS DEVELOPED FOR RECYCLING OF FLAT CRT SCREENS: RESISTANCE DISASSEMBLING SEPARATOR– set up and active part detail

12. DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST MODULE TECHNOLOGY The technology elaborated at the AQUATEST a.s. workshop in Mníšek pod Brdy, Czech republic is designed as a modular system of individual technological parts which can be changed based on the type of WEEE being processed. GRINDINGMODULEandMAGNETIC SEPARATION DUST EXHAUSTOR and FILTRATION UNIT

13. DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST MODULE TECHNOLOGY Output 250 kg/hour GRINDINGMODULE MAGNETIC SEPARATION

14. INPUT Exhaustion C - filter DISASSEMBLY WORKPLACE Tubes: separate processing Electronic parts with precious metals Exhaustion C - filter DIMENDIONAL SEPARATION – hydraulic scissors Mobile feeder Exhaustion C - filter MODULE CRUSHING MAGNETIC SEPARATION Fe product VIBRATION SCREEN Fraction 0 – 6 mm Fraction + 6 mm ORGANIC PARTS SEPARATOR ELECTRODYNAMIC SEPARATOR Plastic Dust Plastic Non-ferrous metals Clean mixed glass TECHNOLOGICAL DIAGRAM Grinding is performed in a special grinder which grinds the screens with a very selective effect i.e. easily-ground parts like glass and ceramics are ground into fine particles. ELECTRODYNAMIC SEPARATOR

15. L I N E M O D U L E S VIBRATION SCREEN ORGANIC PARTICLE SEPARATOR ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER

16. ALTERNATIVES OF PROCESSING scrap LCD and plasma screens 1)Manual disassembly Hazardous fluorescent tubes containing Hg can be removed from the scrap LCD and plasma screens during manual disassembly and other electronic components containing precious metal can be obtained. CHIPBOARDS FLUORESCENT TUBES 2)Processing of the whole screens without manual disassembly using machine separation, grinding and capture of hazardous materials on activated carbon filters.

17. LINE PRODUCTS A L U M I N U M I R O N P L A S T I C G L A S S

18. LINE PRODUCTS Composition of products from 3 t of representative samples processing on the modular line.

19. CONCLUSION The modular technology solves recycling of LCD and plasma screens by mechanical dry process so that hazardous compounds are captured as small volume of dust particles and possible volatile components are captured in activated carbon filters. They are subsequently disposed of as category “H” waste. The performance of the project (ref. no. FI-IM 3/058, 2006-2008) was supported from the state budget through the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

20. AQUATEST a.s. Geologická 4, 152 00 Praha 5 Czech republic Ing. Lubomír Štolc, Václav Hrabák Mníšek pod Brdy AQUATEST plant Tel: +420 318 403 306, Fax: +420 318 403 616, stolc@aquatest.cz www.aquatest.cz