Method for the recovery of metals from electronic waste

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023250509-A1
Application number	US-202118015606-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2021
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Aug 10, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for obtaining metals of the 8th to 14th groups, in particular raw copper, comprises the following steps: i) providing and melting down a mixed feed comprising electronic waste in a smelting reactor, so that a first melt with a first metallic phase and a first slag phase is formed; ii) separating out the first slag phase from the smelting reactor; iii) refining the remaining first metallic phase by means of an oxygen-containing gas, possibly with the addition of copper-containing residual materials, so that a second, copper-enriched slag phase is formed; iv) possibly separating off the second slag phase and repeating the step; v) separating off the refined first metallic phase from the smelting reactor; and vi) adding a further mixed feed comprising electronic waste to the remaining second, copper-enriched slag phase and repeating process steps i) to vi).

First claim

1 .- 12 . (canceled)

13 . A method for obtaining metals of the 8th to 14th groups, in particular raw copper, comprising the steps of:
i) providing and melting down a mixed feed comprising electronic waste in a smelting reactor, so that a first melt with a first metallic phase and a first slag phase is formed; ii) separating out the first slag phase from the smelting reactor; iii) refining a remaining first metallic phase by an oxygen-containing gas, possibly with an addition of copper-containing residual materials, so that a second, copper-enriched slag phase is formed; iv) possibly separating off the second slag phase and repeating step iii); v) separating off the refined first metallic phase from the smelting reactor; and vi) adding a further mixed feed comprising electronic waste to the remaining second, copper-enriched slag phase and repeating process steps i) to vi).

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the first slag phase is reduced by a reducing agent.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein steps i) to vi) are carried out at a temperature of at least 1150° C.

16 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the mixed feed comprises the electronic waste in an amount of at least 10 wt %.

17 . The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the mixed feed comprises a slag-forming agent and/or wherein a slag-forming agent is added to the process in steps i) and/or iii).

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the mixed feed comprises the slag-forming agent in an amount of at least ⅛ of the mass fraction of the electronic waste present in the mixed feed.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the slag-forming agent is selected from the group consisting of iron, iron oxides, calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium hydroxide, sodium oxide, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, silicon dioxide, silicon carbonate, and silicon hydroxide.

20 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electronic waste comprises an aluminum content of 0.1 to 20.0 wt %.

21 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electronic waste comprises an organic content of 5.0 to 80.0 wt %.

22 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electronic waste is crushed to a particle size smaller than 20 inches, and optionally provided in the form of pressed articles in accordance with step i).

23 . The method according claim 13 , wherein step i) is assisted by selectively injecting an oxygen-containing gas.

24 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the metallic phase is removed via a tapping opening arranged in a bottom and/or in a side wall of the smelting reactor.

Assignees

• Sms Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Kaussen Frank Marlin
• Degel Rolf
• Lux Timm

Classifications

• C22B15/006 Primary

  working up of molten copper, e.g. refining · CPC title

• C22B15/0056

  Scrap treating · CPC title

• C22B15/0054

  Slag, slime, speiss, or dross treating · CPC title

• C22B7/005

  Separation by a physical processing technique only, e.g. by mechanical breaking · CPC title

• C22B9/05

  Refining by treating with gases, e.g. gas flushing {also refining by means of a material generating gas in situ} · CPC title