Recovery of copper and silver from impregnated carbon-based products in a circular economy framework

Copper and aluminum are crucial, strategic metals in all modern industries. Currently, they face many challenges concerning environmental impact during all stages of production, processing, application, and utilization. To address these challenges, apply the circular economy concept, and make the system functional within a business framework, this thesis explores several options for recycling and reintegrating recycled material into the loop, or at least prolonging the materials' life cycles. The primary objective is to develop a system in which used metals (copper and aluminum) are returned to the company's production site and processed either internally, by developing an internal recycling process, or externally, by partnering with a company to handle the technical recycling part of the process. This recycled material can then be reused. First, all current data and the status quo were collected through a literature review, describing all important information to illustrate the current situation with these metals. In the experimental part, the main strategies for internal recycling and criteria for external partnerships are identified. The results and discussion section provides a crucial examination of both strategies, highlighting their benefits and drawbacks. Another important aspect is the conduction of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study to estimate the environmental value gained from the process and to examine the carbon footprint of the entire product process. This helps indicate the impact proportion caused by the application of virgin raw materials versus recycled raw materials. Additionally, a SWOT analysis is applied to identify key parameters and issues in partnering with an external company. Since this master thesis was written within the framework of an ongoing project at the company, management decided to pursue the option of involving external partners based on experimental and financial evidence evaluating the internal recycling option. In conclusion, this thesis represents both the explorations and foundations built during the case study, creating a real business case and a specialized system tailored to the company's needs. This system addresses the sustainability issues associated with the application of metal raw materials while also assessing the financial aspects of the project. The main focus is on balancing these issues to create a working model that aspires towards both environmental and commercial sustainability.