

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains economically significant levels of precious, critical metals and rare earth elements, apart from base metals and other toxic compounds. Recycling and recovery of critical elements from WEEEs using a cost-effective technology are now one of the top priorities in metallurgy due to the rapid depletion of their natural resources. More than 150 publications on WEEE management, leaching and recovery of metals from WEEE were reviewed in this work, with special emphasize on the recent research (2015–2018). This paper summarizes the recent progress regarding various hydrometallurgical processes for the leaching of critical elements from WEEEs. Various methodologies and techniques for critical elements selective recovery (using ionic liquids, solvent extraction, electrowinning, adsorption, and precipitation) from the WEEEs leachates are discussed. Future prospects regarding the use of WEEEs as secondary resources for critical raw materials and its techno-economical and commercial beneficiaries are discussed. AbbreviationsE-Waste Electronic wasteWEEE Waste electrical and electronic equipmentCRM Critical raw materialsPCB Printed circuit boardLCD Liquid crystal displayCRT Cathode ray tubeFl. Lamp Fluorescent lampHDD Hard disk drivesLED Light emitting diodeEU European UnionUNEP United Nations Environmental ProgramREE Rare earth elementITO Indium-tin oxidePM Precious metalNiMH battery Nickel-hydride batteryCPU Central processing unitRAM Random access memoryLiBs Li-ion batteriesSFL Spent fluorescent lamps. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
| Engineering controlled terms: | CathodesCost effectivenessElectronic WasteFluorescenceHydrometallurgyIndium compoundsIonic liquidsLeachingLiquid crystal displaysLiquid crystalsLithium-ion batteriesNickel compoundsOscillators (electronic)Printed circuit boardsProgram processorsRare earth compoundsRare earth elementsRare earthsSolvent extractionTin oxidesWastes |
|---|---|
| Engineering uncontrolled terms | Cost-effective technologyCritical raw materialsEnd-of-life electronicsHydrometallurgical processHydrometallurgical recoverySelective recoveryWaste electrical and electronic equipmentWEEEs |
| Engineering main heading: | Metal recovery |
| EMTREE drug terms: | chloridecobaltcyanideeuropiumgalliumgoldhydroxideinorganic acidiodideionic liquidlanthanidelithium ionoxidepalladiumpolychlorinated biphenylsilversulfidethiosulfatethioureayttrium |
| GEOBASE Subject Index: | electronic equipmentelectronic wasteinformation processingleachateleachingmetallurgyrare earth elementrecoveryrecyclingsolventUnited Nations Environment Program |
| EMTREE medical terms: | adsorptionArticlechemical compositione-wasteleachingmetallurgymethodologyprecipitationrecyclingsolvent extraction |
chloride, 16887-00-6; cobalt, 7440-48-4; cyanide, 57-12-5; europium, 7440-53-1; gallium, 7440-55-3, 14391-02-7; gold, 7440-57-5; hydroxide, 14280-30-9; iodide, 20461-54-5; lithium ion, 17341-24-1; oxide, 16833-27-5; silver, 7440-22-4; sulfide, 18496-25-8; thiosulfate, 14383-50-7; thiourea, 62-56-6; yttrium, 7440-65-5
| Funding sponsor | Funding number | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| UID/QUI/50006/2013 - POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265,INTENC/113Y011,116M012,4957-D2-17 | ||
| Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia See opportunities by FCT | UID/Multi/04349/2013,ERA-MIN/0002/2014 | FCT |
| European Cooperation in Science and Technology | FP7-PEOPLE-2013-COFUND | COST |
| PTDC/QEQ-EPR/1249/2014 | ||
| Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | PT2020,SFRH/BD/87299/ 2012 | MINECO |
The authors would like to thank the financial support provided by the European network for innovative recovery strategies of rare earth and other Critical metals from electrical and electronic waste (RECREEW), COST action program. M. Sethurajan and E.D. van Hullebusch thank the Experienced Water Postdoc Fellowship COFUND Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-COFUND). J.P. Leal and T.G. Almeida thank Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia for financial support under projects ENVIREE (ERA-MIN/0002/2014), REEuse (PTDC/QEQ-EPR/1249/2014) and C2TN (UID/Multi/04349/2013). A. Akcil and H. Deveci thank TUBITAK and SDU BAPYB for financial support under projects INTENC/113Y011, 116M012 and 4957-D2-17. Isabel F.F. Neto and Helena M.V.M. Soares thank the financial support with reference LAQV (UID/QUI/50006/2013 - POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265) from FCT/MEC through national funds and co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. Isabel F.F. Neto acknowledges a grant scholarship (SFRH/BD/87299/2012) financed by FCT.
The authors would like to thank the financial support provided by the European network for innovative recovery strategies of rare earth and other Critical metals from electrical and electronic waste (RECREEW), COST action program. M. Sethurajan and E.D. van Hullebusch thank the Experienced Water Postdoc Fellowship COFUND Programme (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-COFUND). J.P. Leal and T.G. Almeida thank Fundac\u00B8\u00E3o para a Ci\u00EAncia e a Tecnologia for financial support under projects ENVIREE (ERA-MIN/0002/2014), REEuse (PTDC/QEQ-EPR/1249/2014) and C2TN (UID/Multi/04349/2013). A. Akcil and H. Deveci thank TUBITAK and SDU BAPYB for financial support under projects INTENC/113Y011, 116M012 and 4957-D2-17. Isabel F.F. Neto and Helena M.V.M. Soares thank the financial support with reference LAQV (UID/QUI/50006/2013 - POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265) from FCT/MEC through national funds and co-financed by FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. Isabel F.F. Neto acknowledges a grant scholarship (SFRH/BD/87299/ 2012) financed by FCT.
Sethurajan, M.; Department of Environmental Engineering and Water Technology, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, Delft, AX, Netherlands;
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