DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Method for recovering metals from waste

Abstract

A method is described 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--800 C to combust organic materials in the waste, then heated further to a second temperature in the range of approximately 1,000--1,550 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. 2 figs.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
321179
Patent Number(s):
5843287
Application Number:
PAN: 8-605,293
Assignee:
Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Dec 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; MATERIALS RECOVERY; SOLID WASTES; VITRIFICATION; WASTE DISPOSAL; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; MICROWAVE HEATING; TIN; ALUMINIUM; GOLD; SILVER; COPPER

Citation Formats

Wicks, G G, Clark, D E, and Schulz, R L. Method for recovering metals from waste. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Wicks, G G, Clark, D E, & Schulz, R L. Method for recovering metals from waste. United States.
Wicks, G G, Clark, D E, and Schulz, R L. Tue . "Method for recovering metals from waste". United States.
@article{osti_321179,
title = {Method for recovering metals from waste},
author = {Wicks, G G and Clark, D E and Schulz, R L},
abstractNote = {A method is described 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--800 C to combust organic materials in the waste, then heated further to a second temperature in the range of approximately 1,000--1,550 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. 2 figs.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}

Patent:
Search for the full text at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Note: You will be redirected to the USPTO site, which may require a pop-up blocker to be deactivated to view the patent. If so, you will need to manually turn off your browser's pop-up blocker, typically found within the browser settings. (See DOE Patents FAQs for more information.)

Save / Share: