Ronin8, which uses sonic technology to process low-grade circuit boards into a higher-value, smelter-ready material, is looking to scale up operations.
Ronin8 is phasing out pilot operations at its plant in Richmond, British Columbia. For a commercial-scale facility, it is looking at the east coasts of Canada and the U.S. In the meantime, Ronin8 is working with university researchers to explore uses for the non-metals fraction it generates from printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Travis Janke, Ronin8’s director of engineering, recently provided E-Scrap News with an update on the company and its technology development.
How the technology works
Ronin8 uses a sonic liberation method to generate metals and non-metals fractions from ground PCBs. Material is fed into water-filled chambers, and low-frequency, high-amplitude sound waves are used to vibrate the equipment at its natural resonance frequency. The vibrations liberate the metals from the non-metals, and the fractions are separated, de-watered and dried.
The process yields a concentrate of different base, precious and rare earth metals and an organic fraction of fiberglass, plastics, resins and other materials. Ronin8 has published a white paper with more details. A company representative also spoke about the technology during a session during last year’s E-Scrap Conference in Orlando, Fla.
The technology improves the value of PCBs sent to smelters by an estimated 35-40 cents per pound, Janke said, with logistics cost variabilities accounting for the 5-cent range. “We’re able to provide the greatest value enhancement with the low-grade material from recyclers,” he said.
“We can help them improve their inventory, their resource, and generate better returns,” he added.
Smelters typically pay e-scrap processors for gold, silver, copper and palladium. But they’ll penalize processors if the circuit boards are too low of a grade, because instead of enhancing their feedstock, the material becomes a detriment, Janke said.
Ronin8’s approach essentially boosts the grade of input for smelters, improving the amount of refined metals they generate per ton of input, he said. He noted his company is speaking with a major smelter.
Smelters derive value from the organic fraction of PCBs, because the organics burn and generate heat, reducing the need for fuel, typically coal. At the same time, Canadian government restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions can limit what a smelter uses for feedstock. For example, the restrictions might cap the percentage of feedstock that’s composed of PCBs on an annual basis.
Janke said the feedstock can be designed to help a smelter achieve greenhouse gas emission limits and still enjoy the energy benefits. Over the past year, Ronin8 has refined its technology to be able to adjust the amount of organics in the metals concentrate. The process can produce a concentrate from 2 percent to 20 percent organic content, Janke said.
Looking to the future
Ronin8 is currently in preliminary discussions with generators of PCBs in the eastern U.S. and Canada. The company is looking there because of logistics and regulatory benefits, Janke said. The company is exploring boosting the value of PCBs as a service, instead of buying PCBs and selling its output. It would take a processing fee out of the 35-40-cent price improvement its process yields, he said.
“What we do well is we concentrate boards at a very high efficiency and a very high recovery rate in an environmentally friendly manner,” he said. “Our competitive advantage isn’t collecting PCBs.”
Ronin8 is designing a commercial plant that would have two sonic units and a total nominal throughput of 10,000 metric tons per year. The company is planning to have it built in the second quarter of 2019.
In addition, the company has been working with researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) on studying and finding possible uses for the non-metal fraction. The company has been working with Ph.D. candidate Amit Kumar and professor Maria Holuszko at UBC’s Urban Mining Innovation Centre (UMIC).
The researchers have studied ways to process the material into an environmentally benign product for use as an energy source or filler in concrete or ceramic products, he said. They and Ronin8 developed a non-thermal process that extracts flame retardants from the PCB matrix, allowing the fiberglass to be reused.
I was recommended this website by my cousin I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty You are wonderful Thanks
What i do not understood is in truth how you are not actually a lot more smartlyliked than you may be now You are very intelligent You realize therefore significantly in the case of this topic produced me individually imagine it from numerous numerous angles Its like men and women dont seem to be fascinated until it is one thing to do with Woman gaga Your own stuffs nice All the time care for it up
Your writing has a way of resonating with me on a deep level. I appreciate the honesty and authenticity you bring to every post. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Nice blog here Also your site loads up very fast What host are you using Can I get your affiliate link to your host I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
Thanks I have recently been looking for info about this subject for a while and yours is the greatest I have discovered so far However what in regards to the bottom line Are you certain in regards to the supply
BaddieHub I truly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I added it to my bookmark site list and will
Thank you for sharing this insightful article! I found the information really useful and thought-provoking. Your writing style is engaging, and it made the topic much easier to understand. Looking forward to reading more of your posts!
Great article! I really appreciate the clear and detailed insights you’ve provided on this topic. It’s always refreshing to read content that breaks things down so well, making it easy for readers to grasp even complex ideas. I also found the practical tips you’ve shared to be very helpful. Looking forward to more informative posts like this! Keep up the good work! YouTube Downloader Online
Your writing has a way of resonating with me on a deep level. I appreciate the honesty and authenticity you bring to every post. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Its like you read my mind You appear to know so much about this like you wrote the book in it or something I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit but other than that this is fantastic blog A great read Ill certainly be back
I loved as much as youll receive carried out right here The sketch is tasteful your authored material stylish nonetheless you command get bought an nervousness over that you wish be delivering the following unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this hike
Magnificent beat I would like to apprentice while you amend your site how can i subscribe for a blog web site The account helped me a acceptable deal I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear idea
dodb buzz Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites
Somebody essentially lend a hand to make significantly posts I might state That is the very first time I frequented your web page and up to now I surprised with the research you made to create this particular put up amazing Excellent job
Ezippi You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!
Smartcric You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic. Really.. thank you for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!
Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist
with SEO? I’m trying to get my site to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing
very good gains. If you know of any please share. Thank you!
I saw similar art here: Wool product
Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not
seeing very good results. If you know of any please
share. Appreciate it! I saw similar blog here: Wool product
sugar defender ingredients Incorporating Sugar Defender
right into my everyday regimen general health. As somebody that focuses on healthy eating, I value the extra security this
supplement provides. Because beginning to take it, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my energy degrees and a considerable decrease in my wish for undesirable treats such a such an extensive influence on my
daily life.