In a used PC, printed circuit boards are among the most valuable components. Firstly, they may contain chips that can be removed and sold for reuse. But above all they contain valuable metals that can be sold to a smelter. Electronic boards that cannot be reused as spare parts still have value. To optimize the value of these boards, it is necessary to sort them according to their precious metal content. The boards are then sold to refineries. Their price depends on the market price of precious metals, on the homogeneity of batches and on the quantity. The recovery of circuit boards must be carried out by specialised industries, to avoid any health or environmental risk.
