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Recovery of rare earth elements - optimized elemental analysis of fluorescent lamp shredder waste
(2016)
Rare earth elements (REE) are a crucial component of fluorescence lamps. Several procedures have been developed to recovery these technological important elements. Nevertheless, actual REE recycling from fluorescence lamps is scarce so far (recovery rate of less than 1 %), with current recycling approaches concentrating on glass recovery. Since most recycling processes include several, also wet-chemical steps, a complete knowledge of the actual elemental composition of the respective mass flows is necessary for an efficient REE recovery. We tested seven different reagent mixtures for microwave-assisted digestion of fluorescent lamp shredder, including HF, HClO4, and H2O2. We determined the concentrations of 25 of the most relevant rare earth and other trace elements in the respective dilutions. Two independent digestions, one a mixture of perchlorid/nitric/hydrofluoric acid and the other aqua regia, showed the highest concentrations of 23 of these elements, excluding only Sn and Tb. The REE concentrations in the tested lamp shredder sample (stated in g/kg) were 10.2 (Y), 12.1 (La), 7.77 (Ce), 6.91 (Eu), 1.90 (Gd), and 4.11 (Tb).
The main obstacle to bottom ash (BA) being used as a recycling aggregate is the content of salts and potential toxic elements (PTEs), concentrated in a layer that coats BA particles. This work presents a dry treatment for the removal of salts and PTEs from BA particles. Two pilotscale abrasion units (with/without the removal of the fine particles) were fed with different BA samples. The performance of the abrasion tests was assessed through the analyses of particle size and moisture, and that of the column leaching tests at solid-to-liquid ratios between 0.3 and 4. The results were: the particle-size distribution of the treated materials was homogeneous (25 wt % had dimensions <6.3 mm) and their moisture halved, as well as the electrical conductivity of the leachates. A significant decrease was observed in the leachates of the treated BA for sulphates (44%),
chlorides (26%), and PTEs (53% Cr, 60% Cu and 8% Mo). The statistical analysis revealed good correlations between chloride and sulphate concentrations in the leachates with Ba, Cu, Mo, and Sr, illustrating the consistent behavior of the major and minor components of the layer surrounding BA particles. In conclusion, the tested process could be considered as promising for the improvement of BA valorization.