Metal recovery from electronic appliances

• Main Author: Chua, Chang Sian
• Other Authors: Alex Yan Qingyu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166906
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The proliferation of electronic devices has caused a surge in electronic waste (e-waste), which is now a major global concern. However, e-waste is not entirely worthless as it contains valuable resources, making it necessary to recover precious metals from it. Currently, only a small fraction of global e-waste is recycled, emphasizing the need to prioritize recycling to reduce the harmful environmental effects of e-waste and maximize the recovery of valuable resources. Out of the various methods available for metal recovery such as Pyrometallurgy, Hydrometallurgy, Biometallurgy, and Supercritical Fluid Extraction, Hydrometallurgy is an ideal option due to its cost-effectiveness, versatility, low energy consumption, and eco-friendly approach to metal extraction. In this experiment, Nb and Ta were recovered from Nb capacitor and Ta capacitor respectively via hydrometallurgy process. The processes involved were Beneficiation, Leaching, Filtratering and Drying. Additionally, associated metals were recovered as side products such as CuS, ZnS, NiS. Although Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is commonly used as a leaching agent in the recovery of niobium and tantalum, it will not be utilized in this experiment. Due to its high corrosiveness, toxicity, hazardous waste classification, and safety concerns.