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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM67045
Volume:
10 |
8 |
Aug 2026
Pages:
1-6
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Environmental Engineering
Government College of Technology,Coimbatore
Department of Environmental Engineering
Government College of Technology,Coimbatore
Electronic waste (e-waste) contains significant quantities of valuable metals that can be recovered through environmentally sustainable processes. This study investigates an eco-friendly dual-pathway approach for the recovery of silver from discarded Double Data Rate Random Access Memory (DDRM) modules using organic acid leaching followed by electrolysis. Waste DDRM samples were collected, shredded and subjected to alkaline pretreatment using different concentrations of potassium hydroxide (KOH) to remove the epoxy coating. Sonication was subsequently employed to enhance the removal of the protective polymer layer. The pretreated DDRM was then subjected to leaching using citric acid and formic acid in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent. The leachates were analyzed using UV–VIS spectroscopy to confirm the presence of silver ions, while electrolysis was employed to recover the dissolved metal. FTIR analysis confirmed the breakdown of epoxy functional groups after alkaline pretreatment. Among the organic acids investigated, citric acid exhibited better silver leaching performance than formic acid. The study demonstrates that organic acid leaching combined with electrolysis provides a simple, economical and environmentally safer alternative for silver recovery from DDRM e-waste.
KEYWORDS
The present study demonstrated the feasibility of recovering silver from DDRM e-waste through an eco-friendly dual-pathway process involving alkaline pretreatment, organic acid leaching and electrolysis. KOH pretreatment showed better epoxy removal. FTIR confirmed the chemical breakdown of the epoxy layer, while UV–VIS analysis verified the presence of silver ions in the leachate. Among the two organic acids, citric acid demonstrated better leaching and recovery performance than formic acid, with the reported recovery range of 65–90% compared with 45–80% for formic acid. The proposed process provides a simple and comparatively environmentally safer route for recovering valuable metals from DDRM e-waste.
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Publication Date
8/31/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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