Flash heating offers faster way to recover critical metal from e-waste

Many electronic devices use flame-retardant plastic as casing in order to reduce the risk of electrical fires. This plastic is formulated using a metal called antimony along with organic bromide compounds. In fact, 39% of the world's antimony is used to create flame-retardant plastics, most of which will eventually end up as part of the tens of millions of tons of electronic waste generated each year.