• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1013-1019
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• 2007

Electronic wastes have increased tremendously. However, any reliable treatment methodologies have rarely been established. Electronic wastes have posed serious disposal problem due to their physico-chemical stability. This paper investigated the application possibility of pyrolysis for the purpose of recycling the p-CCL(phenol based Copper Clad Laminate). Thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) was used to investigate the thermal decomposition pattern of p-CCL. We elucidated the characteristics of pyrolysis by-products at operating temperatures of 280, 350 and $600^{\circ}C$. GC/MS and FT-IR were used to characterize the liquid by-products along with general characterization methods such as Ultimate Analysis, Proximate Analysis and Heating Value, whereas general characterization methods were only introduced for the solid by-products. At a heating rate of $5^{\circ}C$/min, TGA curves exhibited three decomposition stages: (1) low-temperature decomposition region$(<280^{\circ}C)$, (2) medium temperature region$(280\sim350^{\circ}C)$ and (3) high-temperature region$(>350^{\circ}C)$. The major compounds of liquid by-products at low- and medium-temperatures were accounted for by water and phenol, whereas branched phenols and furans were major compounds at high-temperatures. As the temperature increases, volatile quantities decreased but the fixed carbon increased. High heating values of solid by-products($7,400\sim7,600$ kcal/kg) would suggest that the solid by-products could be applicable as fuel. In addition, high fixed carbon but low ash content of the solid by-products offered an implication that they are capable of being upgradable for adsorbent after applying appropriate activating process.