\u201cThe toughest part was designing a system that could disassemble the lamp\u2014including the LED strip\u2014and separate everything into relatively coarse materials,\u201d explains IPT mining engineer Francisco Junior Batista Pedrosa. This step, carried out before any metallurgical processing, cuts down the total volume of material entering chemical extraction\u2014helping to reduce environmental liabilities. \u201cIn mining, this approach is called preconcentration,\u201d Pedrosa explains. \u201cThe concept is to filter out the low-value material early, so only what\u2019s worth processing moves forward.\u201d Pedrosa is also a coauthor of a 2023 study on how LED lamps break down mechanically, published in the Proceedings of the 76th<\/sup> Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Association of Metallurgy, Materials and Mining (ABM).<\/p>\n Tramppo\u2019s production line, which was initially designed 10 years ago to recycle fluorescent lamps with funding from FAPESP (see<\/em> Pesquisa FAPESP issue n\u00b0 146<\/em><\/a>), began trial operations earlier this year. The current system can handle about 500 kilograms (kg) of waste per day. According to Pachelli, upgrades to the system could scale that capacity fourfold. The separated glass, which makes up the bulk of the material, is sent to the ceramics industry. Plastics go to local recycling firms. The precious metals in the circuit boards are extracted by a specialized overseas company. Tramppo and IPT are now looking to develop a recovery process specifically for the metals embedded in LED strips and electronic terminals.<\/p>\n L\u00facia Helena Xavier, a researcher at Brazil\u2019s Center for Mineral Technology (CETEM), under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), describes the IPT-Tramppo recycling process as a significant innovation. \u201cTheir machinery has the capabilities to separate LED lamp materials efficiently and automatically, making the process economically viable,\u201d says Xavier, who was not involved in the project. \u201cWithout that step, the downstream recycling steps become less efficient.\u201d<\/p>\n A specialist in reverse logistics, urban mining, and circular economy strategies, Xavier coauthored a 2020 report on LED recycling, presented at the 11th<\/sup> International Solid Waste Forum in Porto Alegre. The study outlined the state of LED recycling technologies in Brazil. Back then, one of the biggest challenges was the complete absence of a standardized recycling system for LEDs.<\/p>\n Today, CETEM is investigating how to extract critical and high-value metals from LED waste. \u201cWe\u2019re working on the chemical and physical characterization of LED residues and processing methods to selectively separate out elements like copper, silver, and gold,\u201d explains chemist Larissa Oliveira Alexandre, a researcher at CETEM. \u201cIt\u2019s a straightforward two-step process that doesn\u2019t generate any liquid waste\u2014but I can\u2019t go into detail yet because we\u2019re still filing for a patent,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat I can say is that the output contains much higher concentrations of yttrium, gallium, copper, and silver than naturally mined ores\u2014so it could significantly reduce the need for primary extraction.\u201d<\/p>\n A southern route<\/strong> Much like the S\u00e3o Paulo approach, the mechanical stage allows certain materials to go straight to recycling, while others\u2014particularly the LED chips and circuit boards\u2014still require metallurgical processing. A key difference is that the UFSM team skips both the terminal-cutting step and the use of an autogenous mill to break down the electronics. The team published their findings in Resources, Conservation and Recycling<\/em> back in 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we ran this study, very little research had been done on LED recycling,\u201d says Bertuol. \u201cOur paper helped establish baseline data on the chemical makeup of the components and outlined a viable mechanical separation method.\u201d The UFSM team has yet to build a working prototype for dismantling the lamps. \u201cWe developed pilot-scale equipment to develop and test the recycling route,\u201d the team notes.<\/p>\n The story above was published with the title “Giving LEDs a second life<\/strong>” in issue 352 of April\/2025.<\/p>\n Project<\/strong> Scientific articles<\/strong>
\nAt the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) in southern Brazil, chemical engineering researchers are pursuing a recycling route similar to the one developed by Tramppo and IPT, also centered on mechanically processing discarded LED lamps. \u201cWe\u2019re applying a combination of grinding, magnetic separation, and electrostatic separation to dismantle the major components of the waste,\u201d explains chemical engineer Daniel Bertuol, who is leading the research project at UFSM.<\/p>\n
\nDevelopment of LED lamp recycling technology (n\u00b0 19\/16692-5<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE); Principal Investigator<\/strong> Elaine Menegon Chermont (Tramppo); Agreement<\/strong> FINEP – PIPE\/PAPPE Subven\u00e7\u00e3o partnership; Investment<\/strong> R$144,000.00.<\/p>\n
\nMORAES, S. L et al<\/em>. Aproveitamento de materiais de l\u00e2mpadas LED: Investigando os mecanismos de desmantelamento de l\u00e2mpadas do tipo bulbo<\/a>. ABM 76th Annual Conference<\/strong>. No. 76, pp. 239\u201350. 2023.
\nMORAES, S. L. et al<\/em>. Chemical analysis of LED bulb components: Strategies for efficient recycling<\/a>. Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Minera\u00e7\u00e3o<\/strong>. Vol. 21. 2024.
\nREBELLO, R. Z. et al<\/em>. Reciclagem de l\u00e2mpadas de LED inserv\u00edveis: Panorama atual e perspectivas futuras<\/a>. 11th International Forum on Solid Waste<\/strong>. June 2020.
\nMARTINS, T. R. et al<\/em>. Innovative method for the recycling of end-of-life LED bulbs by mechanical processing<\/a>. Resources, Conservation and Recycling<\/strong>. Vol. 161. Oct. 2020.<\/p>\n
Experts agree that recycling LED lamps is critical from both an economic and a sustainability perspective. \u201cRecovering rare metals from these lamps means we can reuse them in other products instead of mining more from the ground\u2014which lowers environmental impacts,\u201d says chemical engineer Sandra L\u00facia de Moraes, who manages the IPT\u2019s Advanced Materials Unit and is heading the project. At the same time, she adds, it helps cut down on electronic waste. LED lamps contain plastics and potentially toxic metals like copper, zinc, and lead, which can build up in the environment\u2014polluting soil and water, damaging ecosystems, and posing risks to human health.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/RPF-reciclagem-led-montagem-2025-06-1140.jpg\")
L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP | Tramppo <\/span>Circuit terminals (left<\/em>), LED strips (center<\/em>), and crushed glass from discarded lamps (right<\/em>)L\u00e9o Ramos Chaves\u2009\/\u2009Pesquisa FAPESP | Tramppo <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n The missing step: physical separation<\/strong> Conventional methods jump straight into chemical extraction, using solvents to recover the metals. The conventional process begins with comminution (particle size reduction), in which the whole lamp is crushed into a fine powder. \u201cThat powder then goes through chemical extraction, which consumes a lot of reagents and leaves behind a substantial volume of waste,\u201d says Moraes. \u201cPlastic and glass get tossed out in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n What sets the method developed at IPT and Tramppo apart is what happens before any metal is extracted: they dismantle the lamp and physically sort out recyclable materials. To make it work, the team built a custom machine designed to disassemble LED bulbs and sort their parts. In the case of tubular LEDs, the first step is slicing off the terminals, which contain the electronic circuitry. A key innovation in the process is the use of an autogenous mill\u2014a rotating, cylindrical device that breaks down the lamp\u2019s electronic components, making it easier to recover the metals inside (see infographic below<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/div>
\nUntil now, LED recycling worldwide has focused almost exclusively on extracting precious metals from the light-emitting diodes themselves, says Moraes. But few efforts have tackled the earlier step\u2014physically separating materials before any metallurgical extraction. \u201cThe recycling systems common in Europe aren\u2019t suited to Brazil,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey skip the material separation phase that would allow us to recover plastic, glass, aluminum, and copper\u2014materials that hold value in Brazil\u2019s recycling market.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/RPF-reciclagemled-2025-06-info1-ING-DESK.png\")
\n <\/picture>