Abstract
In the present study, end-of-life compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) have been characterized for the content of rare earth elements (REEs) to estimate the recovery potential of REEs in India based on their average obsolescence rate and waste generation. Yttrium (Y as Y2O3) in CFLs and europium (Eu as Eu2O3) in LFLs were observed to be the prevalent REE present with an average content of 251.8 mg/g and 9.7 mg/g, respectively. The content of REEs does not show statically significant (P < 0.05) difference in various brands of CFLs and LFLs. Further, the results advocated that around 2237 tons of REEs comprising of about 2154 tons from waste CFLs and 83 tons from waste LFLs could be recovered in India in the year 2017. It can be inferred from the present study that the end-of-life CFL and LFL waste streams could be viable secondary resource for recycling of REEs.
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