Eco-Friendly Electrowinning for Metals Recovery from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
Source abstract
Abstract
The amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been intensely increasing over the recent decades. In this view, the efficient recovery of metals from WEEE will allow a secure supply of raw materials and will contribute to a circular economy. Among many factors currently affecting the contribution of recycling, is the lack of suitable technologies for WEEE treatment in an environmentally friendly way. Current trends in eco-friendly technologies applied for gold, silver, copper, and tin recovery by electrowinning are reviewed in this paper. In addition, a case study on the perspectives of tin electrowinning has been evaluated. Tin can be present in rather high quantities in WEEE; moreover, its price is about three times higher than that for copper. The electrorecovery of tin has been carried out in cooperation with JSC “Elektronikos perdirbimo technologijos”. The eco-friendly process based on electrowinning from citric acid-containing leachates is elaborated. The citrate-based solutions have been chosen because citric acid is considered to be an environmentally friendly component. A high deposition rate and current efficiency have been achieved at a deposition potential −0.85 V at 60 °C. However, additional steps would be beneficial to diminish the interference of metals present in the scraps, such as Pb(II) and Cu(II), on tin electrorecovery.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Recycling and Waste Management Techniques · Extraction and Separation Processes · Electrodeposition and Electroless Coatings
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Physical Chemistry, Vilnius University, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
JSC “Elektronikos Perdirbimo Technologijos”, LT-06140 Vilnius, Lithuania
Institute of Applied Physics, Moldova State University, MD-2028 Chisinau, Moldova
Funding
Horizon 2020 research and innovation program · National Agency for Research and Development Moldova
References (40)
Show source-provided references
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