Abstract
In this chapter, the need for recycling rare earths is discussed. It identifies the particular sources of materials that can be used for recycling, such as permanent magnets, lamp phosphors, CRT screens and flat-panel screens, polishing media, batteries, and bulk waste products such as red mud, a waste product from the Bayer process, and phosphogypsum, a by-product from the phosphoric acid production. As recycling of rare earths is not yet done to a large extent, some pro’s and con’s of recycling of rare earths are also discussed: why would you do it or not do it?
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Notes
- 1.
Solvent extraction or liquid-liquid solvent extraction uses two immiscible or partially immiscible solvents containing dissolved rare earths. The two liquids are mixed, the solutes are allowed to distribute between the two phases until equilibrium is established, and then the two liquids are separated. The concentrations of the solutes in the two phases depend upon the relative affinities for the two solvents. According to convention, the product (liquid) that contains the desired solute is called the “extract,” while the residue left behind in the other phase is called the “raffinate.” (Encyclopedia Britannica 2015a).
- 2.
Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is the process for large-scale purification of complex liquid or solid matrices, separating one component (the extractant) from another (the matrix) using supercritical fluids as the extracting solvent. The supercritical fluid is usually CO2. The major advantage of this method over liquid-liquid extraction is that the supercritical fluid can easily be removed after extraction by lowering the temperature or pressure or both. (Encyclopedia Britannica 2015b).
- 3.
In dynamic leaching, the leaching solution is continuously renewed.
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Voncken, J.H.L. (2016). Recycling of Rare Earths. In: The Rare Earth Elements. SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26809-5_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26809-5_7
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