How PCB & CCL Recycling Lines Achieve 99% Copper Recovery

As electronics manufacturing continues to expand worldwide, PCB and copper-clad laminate (CCL) scrap is becoming one of the most valuable secondary copper resources in industrial recycling. Production edge trims, defective laminates, and bare circuit boards typically contain 20% to 40% copper, which is significantly higher than in many conventional electronic waste streams. However, because copper foil is tightly bonded with fiberglass and thermoset resin, conventional crushing methods often fail to fully separate materials, resulting in mixed outputs and reduced metal purity. This has accelerated the adoption of specialized mechanical PCB (Bare Boards) & CCL recycling systems designed specifically for high-efficiency copper liberation from laminated electronic scrap.

PCB (Bare Boards) & CCL Recycling Process Explained
CCL (Copper Clad Laminate) is a composite material formed by laminating an insulating substrate with copper foil. PCBs are manufactured by etching circuits onto this CCL. A modern PCB & CCL recycling line utilizes a multi-stage mechanical separation process, integrating a Double Shaft Shredder, Hammer Crusher, Grinding Mill, Vibrating Screen, Gravity Separator, Electrostatic Separator, and Pulse Dust Collection System, to achieve efficient copper liberation and a 99% purity output.

Primary Shredding – Large PCB or CCL sheets are fed into a double-shaft shredder, which cuts them into smaller, manageable pieces for easier handling in the following steps.
Secondary Crushing – The shredded materials are further broken down by a hammer crusher, reducing their size so that the various components begin to loosen from each other.
Fine Grinding – Fully liberates copper foil from resin and fiberglass.
Vibrating Screening – Ensures uniform particle size distribution.
Gravity Separation – Removes lighter resin and fiber materials.
Electrostatic Separation – Precisely separates conductive copper particles from non-metallic materials.

By transforming electronic waste into economically valuable resources, this system helps reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills and actively promotes the advancement of sustainable recycling practices. If you are seeking an efficient recycling solution for PCBs or CCLs, please feel free to contact us for further details.

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