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Title: Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems

Abstract

A method of recovering metals from electronic waste comprises providing a powder comprising electronic waste in at least a first reactor and a second reactor and providing an electrolyte comprising at least ferric ions in an electrochemical cell in fluid communication with the first reactor and the second reactor. The method further includes contacting the powders within the first reactor and the second reactor with the electrolyte to dissolve at least one base metal from each reactor into the electrolyte and reduce at least some of the ferric ions to ferrous ions. The ferrous ions are oxidized at an anode of the electrochemical cell to regenerate the ferric ions. The powder within the second reactor comprises a higher weight percent of the at least one base metal than the powder in the first reactor. Additional methods of recovering metals from electronic waste are also described, as well as an apparatus of recovering metals from electronic waste.

Inventors:
; ; ; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1397259
Patent Number(s):
9777346
Application Number:
14/845,101
Assignee:
Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25C - PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC07-05ID14517
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2015 Sep 03
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION

Citation Formats

Lister, Tedd E, Parkman, Jacob A, Diaz Aldana, Luis A, Clark, Gemma, Dufek, Eric J, and Keller, Philip. Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems. United States: N. p., 2017. Web.
Lister, Tedd E, Parkman, Jacob A, Diaz Aldana, Luis A, Clark, Gemma, Dufek, Eric J, & Keller, Philip. Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems. United States.
Lister, Tedd E, Parkman, Jacob A, Diaz Aldana, Luis A, Clark, Gemma, Dufek, Eric J, and Keller, Philip. Tue . "Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1397259.
@article{osti_1397259,
title = {Methods for recovering metals from electronic waste, and related systems},
author = {Lister, Tedd E and Parkman, Jacob A and Diaz Aldana, Luis A and Clark, Gemma and Dufek, Eric J and Keller, Philip},
abstractNote = {A method of recovering metals from electronic waste comprises providing a powder comprising electronic waste in at least a first reactor and a second reactor and providing an electrolyte comprising at least ferric ions in an electrochemical cell in fluid communication with the first reactor and the second reactor. The method further includes contacting the powders within the first reactor and the second reactor with the electrolyte to dissolve at least one base metal from each reactor into the electrolyte and reduce at least some of the ferric ions to ferrous ions. The ferrous ions are oxidized at an anode of the electrochemical cell to regenerate the ferric ions. The powder within the second reactor comprises a higher weight percent of the at least one base metal than the powder in the first reactor. Additional methods of recovering metals from electronic waste are also described, as well as an apparatus of recovering metals from electronic waste.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {10}
}