Dismantling waste electrical appliances by yourself to extract metal is a task that requires careful operation, considering not only efficiency, but also safety and environmental protection. Here are some step-by-step suggestions to help you handle it more efficiently and safely.： --- ### **1. Classification and pretreatment** -**Classification of electrical appliance types**: Different electrical appliances contain different types of metals (such as copper wire, aluminum heat sinks, steel housings, precious metals in circuit boards, etc.). Preference is given to parts with high metal content and easy to disassemble (such as motors, transformers, and wires). -**Remove non-metallic parts**: First remove plastics, rubber, glass, etc. (use screwdrivers, pliers and other tools) to reduce subsequent processing interference. -**Safety protection**: Wear gloves (anti-cuts), goggles (anti-splashes), and masks (anti-dust) to ensure good ventilation. --- ### **2. Efficient disassembly skills** -**Targeted disassembly**： - **Copper**: Centralized disassembly of wires (peeling or incineration of the outer skin, but incineration will produce toxic gases, not recommended), motor coils. -**Aluminum**: radiator, shell (separated with a screwdriver or angle grinder). -**Precious metals**: Gold-plated contacts on the circuit board (chemical method is required, which is difficult to operate at home). -**Tool selection**： -Hand tools (screwdrivers, pliers, hammers) are suitable for fine disassembly. -Power tools (angle grinders, electric drills) can quickly separate metal parts, but safety must be paid attention to. -**Batch processing**: Centralized disassembly of the same type of electrical appliances to avoid frequent switching of tools and methods. --- ### **3. Metal separation method** -**Magnet sorting**: Use strong magnets to separate iron/steel (magnetic) and other metals (non-magnetic such as copper and aluminum). -**Density sorting**: Use water flotation (aluminum is lighter, copper/steel sinks to the bottom), but it needs to be dried and stored. -**Melting and purification (be cautious! ）**： -Aluminum (melting point 660°C) and copper (1083°C) can be used in small furnaces (such as graphite crucible + propane spray gun), but professional protection is required and may produce harmful fumes. -Only small-scale attempts are recommended, and make sure to stay away from flammable substances. --- ### **4. Safety and environmental precautions** -** Avoid toxic substances**： -Batteries (including lead and lithium), CRT displays (including leaded glass), capacitors (which may contain PCB), etc. Need to be handled separately and cannot be disassembled at will. - Avoid incineration of circuit boards (release of dioxin). -**Waste disposal**： -Plastics, rubber, etc. are classified for disposal or recycling. -Hazardous parts that cannot be processed (such as mercury-containing switches) should be handed over to a professional recycling agency. --- ### **5. Additional suggestions for improving efficiency** -**Learn disassembly skills**: Watch disassembly videos (such as the electronic recycling channel on YouTube) to learn about the structure of specific electrical appliances. -**Tool optimization**: Use wire strippers to process wires to save time. -**Scale control**: Household operations are mainly based on "disassembly and classification”, and deep processing (such as smelting) is inefficient and risky. It is recommended to sell the classified metal directly. --- ### **6. Alternative: direct recycling** If the purpose is to monetize rather than interest, a more efficient way is： -Sell complete electrical appliances to second-hand recyclers. -After disassembly, it is classified by metal and sold to waste stations (copper and aluminum prices are higher). --- ### Final reminder： -Some countries/regions have legal restrictions on household dismantling of e-waste, so you need to check local regulations in advance. -If chemicals or high temperatures are involved in the operation, be sure to study the relevant risks clearly. Hope these suggestions can help you balance efficiency and safety! If there are specific electrical types or metal targets, the plan can be further refined.