Assessment of LED lamps components and materials for a recycling perspective.

LED lamps have already conquered the market of general lighting. This new product will generate a substantial flow of e-waste requiring studies for the correct management, especially concerning recycling alternatives. This study proposes a material characterization of all the tubular and bulb LED lamp components (carcass, LEDs, printed circuit board and LED module). After manual disassembling, polymers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the metals by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and acid leaching followed by ICP-OES analysis. By the novelty of separating and characterizing the LED lamp's components, a process which has not yet been studied, the results allow for a better interpretation of the different materials distribution within the lamps which is essential to improve the efficiency of a recycling route. To exemplify, the element gallium, which has a recycling appeal from the LEDs, is present in a larger quantity in the printed circuit boards. The study also provides an analysis of the materials recycling rates and economic values, and the comparison with the concentration of natural ores. Thus, it was possible to discuss about target components and materials and the recycling alternatives for each component. LED lamps contain interesting materials, with even higher concentrations than natural ores, such as gold, silver, copper, aluminum, tin and gallium. If recycled, tubular lamps and bulb lamps would have the economic recovery of USD 2405.99 and USD 2595.02 per ton, respectively. The gold was found to be the most valuable material, and the LEDs the most valuable component of the LED lamps.