Abstract
The use of rare earth elements (REEs) is increasing, mainly due to the growing demand for electric vehicles and new applications in green technology. This results in annual growth of the in-use REE stocks and the amount of End-of-Life (EoL) products containing REEs. REEs are considered critical elements by the EU, mainly because the rest of the world is dependent on China’s supply. Recycling of REEs can help alleviate the criticality of REEs, however, no REEs are currently functionally recycled. In this study, the time-dependent behavior of REEs in copper matte-slag system in primary copper smelting conditions was investigated experimentally at a laboratory scale. Lanthanum and neodymium were chosen to represent all REEs, as they are generally found in the highest concentrations in EoL products, and because REEs all have similar chemical behavior. The experiments were conducted as a function of time in air and argon atmospheres. SEM-EDS, EPMA and LA-ICP-MS methods were used for sample characterization. The results of this work indicate that the REEs strongly favor the slag and the deportment to the slag begins almost instantly when the system reaches high temperatures. With increasing contact times, the REEs distribute even more strongly into the slag phase, where they may be recovered and recycled, if their concentrations are sufficiently high and a suitable hydrometallurgical process can be found.
Highlights
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 elements which have similar physical properties and are often found in the same ores and deposits
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It should be noted that the residence time of the slag in an industrial copper flash smelting furnace settler is typically some hours
Summary
Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 elements (lanthanide elements plus scandium and yttrium) which have similar physical properties and are often found in the same ores and deposits. Technological innovations have resulted in multiple applications using REEs: magnets (wind turbines, hybrid and electric vehicles, hard discs, magnetic resonance imaging, speakers, magnetic cooling), battery alloys (alloys for steel and iron casting, super alloys, fuel cells, H2-storage), phosphors and luminescence (energy efficient lighting, liquid crystal and plasma displays, lasers), catalysts (automotive catalysts, catalysts in refining and chemical processing, diesel additives), glass, polishing and ceramics (polishing compounds, coloring and decoloring agents in glass, stabilizers in ceramics, ceramic capacitors, ultraviolet adsorption) [3]. There are serious concerns that the demand for some individual rare earth elements, such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, lanthanum, yttrium, and europium, will exceed current supply within a few years [4]
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