Method for recovering metals from waste

Patent · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:872005

Wicks, George G ^[1]; Clark, David E ^[2]; Schulz, Rebecca L ^[2]

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1. North Augusta, SC
2. Gainesville, FL

A method for recovering metals from metals-containing wastes, and vitrifying the remainder of the wastes for disposal. Metals-containing wastes such as circuit boards, cathode ray tubes, vacuum tubes, transistors and so forth, are broken up and placed in a suitable container. The container is heated by microwaves to a first temperature in the range of approximately 300.degree.-800.degree. C. to combust organic materials in the waste, then heated further to a second temperature in the range of approximately 1,000.degree.-1,550.degree. C. at which temperature glass formers present in the waste will cause it to melt and vitrify. Low-melting-point metals such as tin and aluminum can be recovered after organics combustion is substantially complete. Metals with higher melting points, such as gold, silver and copper, can be recovered from the solidified product or separated from the waste at their respective melting points. Network former-containing materials can be added at the start of the process to assist vitrification.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE SAVANNAH RIVER CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5843287
• OSTI ID: 872005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

-1
-800
/204/219/588/
000
300
550
added
aluminum
approximately
assist
boards
broken
cathode
cathode ray
circuit
circuit board
circuit boards
combust
combustion
complete
container
containing material
containing materials
containing waste
containing wastes
copper
covering metal
degree
disposal
former-containing
formers
forth
glass
glass former
glass formers
gold
heated
low-melting-point
materials
melt
melting
metals
metals-containing
metals-containing wastes
method
microwaves
network
organic
organic material
organic materials
organics
placed
process
product
range
ray
ray tube
ray tubes
recovered
recovering
recovering metals
remainder
respective
respective melting
separated
silver
solidified
solidified product
start
substantially
substantially complete
suitable
temperature
temperature glass
transistors
tubes
vacuum
vacuum tube
vacuum tubes
vitrification
vitrify
vitrifying
waste
wastes