The circuit board crushing process has seen significant advancements. Specialized shredders are now employed to break down circuit boards into smaller fragments. These shredders use high-speed rotating blades or hammers to shatter the boards. The crushed material is then sieved to obtain a uniform particle size, you can use vibrating screen separator. This initial crushing step is crucial as it increases the surface area of the circuit board, facilitating subsequent metal extraction. Some crushers also incorporate features like magnetic separation at this stage to remove any ferrous metals present.

After the circuit boards have been crushed, an effective metal extraction process comes into play, focusing on physical methods and the utilization of a screening machine. The crushed circuit board particles are first passed through a series of sieves in the screening machine. This step segregates the particles based on their size and density. Larger and denser metal-rich fragments are separated from the lighter and finer non-metallic debris.

The metal particles are then separated using magnets. A magnetic separator can extract ferrous metals from circuit boards. This helps to purify the metal mixture.
Next, an electrostatic separation is used. An electric field can sort the remaining metal particles with different electrical conductivities. Copper and other good conductors can be separated from other materials. This process extracts valuable metals from circuit board waste in a way that is good for the environment. It uses less dangerous chemicals and makes the metals more suitable for reuse.

Copper is a major component of circuit boards, typically accounting for 20 – 30% by weight. The price of copper in the market significantly affects the value of recycled circuit boards. The price of copper powder varies depending on different factors such as purity, particle size, and production methods. Here are some copper powder prices for reference: