Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 17275

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul 34469, Turkey
Interests: gravity separation; flotation, waste management; rare earth
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, 34469 Istanbul, Turkey
Interests: flotation; flocculation; mineral processing; mineral waste; particle technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The role of metals in human life is, undoubtedly, very significant. In recent years, the recovery of metals from primary and secondary sources has become increasingly important due to the potential supply risk of strategic raw materials and environmental concerns. The rapidly increasing global demand for metals has increased their extraction from natural minerals. Society needs more metals for sustainable development and breakthrough innovations. This results in significant reductions in the grade and quality of the ores in the exploitable mineral deposits. In this way, huge amounts of waste are produced through mining and metallurgical activities.

Selective separation could help alleviate critical metal shortages. Mineral processing and extraction metallurgy must be adapted to secondary sources and process wastes to produce the metals necessary for sustainability. Potential challenges to future metal extraction technologies include accelerating climate change, rising energy prices, and a lack of clean water. The need to use resources efficiently and comprehensively while protecting the environment necessitates the research and development of the latest technologies for the recovery and recycling of metals.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to focus on the latest ideas and new methods, processes, and information in the production of precious metals from a variety of sources. The papers that discuss the above-mentioned challenges and offer solutions for the selective separation and comprehensive recovery of precious metals are invited for this Special Issue.

We gladly invite you to submit your work.

Dr. Firat Burat
Prof. Dr. Gülay Bulut
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mineral processing
  • flotation
  • flotation kinetics
  • refractory ore
  • electrochemical
  • tailings
  • mineral recycling
  • extractive metallurgy
  • extractive waste recycling
  • sustainable recovery of metals

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4347 KiB  
Article
Study of Preg-Robbing with Quicklime in Gold Cyanide Solutions Analyzed by Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry
by Eber Manuel Garcia Rosales, Jesús Emilio Camporredondo Saucedo, Yuriy Kudriavtsev, Grover Johnny Mamani Maron, Fernando Rojas Venegas and Laura Guadalupe Castruita Avila
Metals 2024, 14(4), 416; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14040416 - 31 Mar 2024
Viewed by 638
Abstract
Preg-robbing is a phenomenon in which minerals retain gold, especially due to the presence of species like carbonaceous matter and silicates in the mineral. This study demonstrates the impact of quicklime, used to adjust the pH of a gold cyanidation solution, on the [...] Read more.
Preg-robbing is a phenomenon in which minerals retain gold, especially due to the presence of species like carbonaceous matter and silicates in the mineral. This study demonstrates the impact of quicklime, used to adjust the pH of a gold cyanidation solution, on the retention of gold contained in pregnant cyanidation solutions and sorption mechanisms. The retention capacity of four quicklime solutions was evaluated using proportions of 200 g of lime in 800 mL of solution and 10 g of lime in 500 mL of solution. The concentrations of the gold cyanide solutions were 10, 15, and 25 ppm. The insoluble lime residue in the acetic acid solution was separated and analyzed by XRD, FTIR, elemental carbon, and Raman spectroscopy techniques. SEM and TOF-SIMS were used to analyze the lime samples after exposure to the gold cyanide solution. The results show that retention was attributable to quicklime due to the effects of its carbon and silicate content, although chemisorption and physisorption mechanisms may also be responsible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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16 pages, 4056 KiB  
Article
Selective Recovery of Scandium (Sc) from Sulfate Solution of Bauxite Residue Leaching Using Puromet MTS9580 Ion-Exchange Sorption
by Julia Napol’skikh, Andrei Shoppert, Irina Loginova, Sergey Kirillov and Dmitry Valeev
Metals 2024, 14(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020234 - 15 Feb 2024
Viewed by 801
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sc are concentrated in aluminum production byproducts. The novel REEs recovery approach, which involves leaching with acid at a pH > 3 in the presence of MgSO4, results in the formation of a pregnant leach solution [...] Read more.
Rare earth elements (REEs) and Sc are concentrated in aluminum production byproducts. The novel REEs recovery approach, which involves leaching with acid at a pH > 3 in the presence of MgSO4, results in the formation of a pregnant leach solution (PLS) with a low concentration of iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti) and a large number of valuable elements. This work studies the application of chelating resin Puromet MTS9580 in the sorption recovery of Sc from sulfate solutions. To analyze the static Sc sorption data, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were used. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best fitted to the experimental data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.983. The dynamic adsorption experiment was conducted using a PLS and a simulated solution without contaminants. Adsorption of Sc from the simulated solution was better fitted to the Thomas model with a Sc capacity greater than 6.4 mg mL−1. Because Ti had a gradual decrease in C/C0, which the Thomas model was unable to simulate, the modified dose-response (MDR) model fitted better with PLS with a Sc capacity greater than 3.8 mg mL−1. The NaHCO3 solution (200 g L−1) effectively desorbed Sc (>98%) from simulated and PLS solutions after 1.5 h of stirring in a batch mode. After 1.5 h of desorption, the concentration of Sc in the desorption solution was 461.5 mg L−1, while the concentration of Mg and Ti was lower than 200 mg L−1 and 50 mg L−1, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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13 pages, 9941 KiB  
Article
Kinetics of Aluminum and Scandium Extraction from Desilicated Coal Fly Ash by High-Pressure HCl Leaching
by Andrei Shoppert, Dmitry Valeev and Irina Loginova
Metals 2023, 13(12), 1994; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13121994 - 09 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1064
Abstract
Coal fly ash (CFA) is a waste that forms via coal combustion in thermal power stations. CFA consists of numerous components, whose recovery can address environmental and resource concerns associated with sustainable development. Most of the alumina (Al2O3) and [...] Read more.
Coal fly ash (CFA) is a waste that forms via coal combustion in thermal power stations. CFA consists of numerous components, whose recovery can address environmental and resource concerns associated with sustainable development. Most of the alumina (Al2O3) and rare-earth elements (REEs) in CFA are contained in the amorphous glassy mass and in the refractory mullite phase (3Al2O3·SiO2), which can be dissolved only using high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL). In this paper, the method of preactivation of CFA by treatment with a highly concentrated NaOH solution is used to increase the efficiency of Al and Sc extraction during HPAL. This method allows for the elimination of an inert aluminosilicate layer from the surface of mullite, transferring the REEs into an acid-soluble form. The Al and Sc extraction can reach 80% after HCl HPAL at T = 170 °C and a 90 min duration. According to the kinetic data, the dissolution of Al follows the surface chemical reaction and intraparticle diffusion shrinking core models in the initial and later stages of leaching, respectively. A high activation energy of 52.78 kJ mol−1 was observed at low temperatures, and a change in the mechanism occurred after 170 °C when the activation energy decreased to 26.34 kJ mol–1. The obtained activation energy value of 33.51 kJ mol−1 for Sc leaching indicates that diffusion has a strong influence at all studied temperatures. The residue was analysed by SEM-EDX, XRF, BET, and XRD methods in order to understand the mechanism of DCFA HPAL process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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25 pages, 5108 KiB  
Article
A Comprehensive and Sustainable Recycling Process for Different Types of Blended End-of-Life Solar Panels: Leaching and Recovery of Valuable Base and Precious Metals and/or Elements
by Maryam Kavousi and Eskandar Keshavarz Alamdari
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1677; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101677 - 30 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1091
Abstract
The production of photovoltaic modules is increasing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, this results in a significant amount of waste at the end of their lifespan. Therefore, recycling these solar panels is important for environmental and economic reasons. However, collecting and separating [...] Read more.
The production of photovoltaic modules is increasing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, this results in a significant amount of waste at the end of their lifespan. Therefore, recycling these solar panels is important for environmental and economic reasons. However, collecting and separating crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper–indium–gallium–selenide panels can be challenging, especially in underdeveloped countries. The innovation in this work is the development of a process to recycle all solar panel waste. The dissolution of all metals through the leaching process is studied as the main step of the flowchart. In the first step of leaching, 98% of silver can be recovered by 0.5 M nitric acid. Then, the second and third step involves the use of glycine for base metal dissolution, followed by the leaching of valuable metals with hydrochloric acid. The effect of parameters such as the initial pH, acid concentration, solid/liquid ratio, and hydrogen peroxide concentration is studied. The results show that up to 100% of Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn, Cd, In, Ga, and Se can be recovered under optimal conditions. The optimal conditions for the dissolution of Cu, Zn, and Cd were a glycine concentration of 0.5 M, a temperature of 25 °C, a solid/liquid ratio of 10 gr/L, and 1% of hydrogen peroxide. The optimized glycine concentration for the leaching of lead and tin was 1.5 M. Indium and gallium were recovered at 100% by the use of 5 M hydrochloric acid, S/L ratio = 10 gr/L, and T = 45 °C. Separation of selenium and tellurium occurred using 0.5 M HCl at a temperature of 60 °C. Additionally, for the first time, a general outlook for the recycling of various end-of-life solar panels is suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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17 pages, 5146 KiB  
Article
An Investigation on Reduction of Calcium Added Bauxite Residue Pellets by Hydrogen and Iron Recovery through Physical Separation Methods
by Ahmad Hassanzadeh, Manish K. Kar, Jafar Safarian and Przemyslaw B. Kowalczuk
Metals 2023, 13(5), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13050946 - 13 May 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2074
Abstract
This study investigates the properties of H2-reduced calcium-added bauxite residue, self-hardened pellets, and the feasibility of iron recovery through electrostatic and magnetic separation methods. The oxide pellets are prepared via a mixing of bauxite residue, calcite, and quicklime. The self-hardened pellets [...] Read more.
This study investigates the properties of H2-reduced calcium-added bauxite residue, self-hardened pellets, and the feasibility of iron recovery through electrostatic and magnetic separation methods. The oxide pellets are prepared via a mixing of bauxite residue, calcite, and quicklime. The self-hardened pellets are reduced at 1000 °C with hydrogen gas flow for 120 min. The chemical composition, phase identification, and microstructural observations are executed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The porosity and strength of the self-hardened pellets are performed by the Mercury intrusion porosimetry and tumbling tests, respectively. The separation of iron is examined through a dry electrostatic technique, and in wet conditions, i.e., via Davis Tube and low-intensity magnetic separation (WLIMS). The effect of the magnetic field (0.1, 0.25, and 0.32 T) is tested on two different particle size fractions (−212 + 106 µm and −106 + 74 µm). It is found that most of the iron oxide in the bauxite residue is converted to metallic iron, which corresponds well with both XRD and SEM results. The Carpco electrostatic tests indicate that this approach is inefficient for the studied type of material because of the intensive association of iron with the rest of the components leading to transferring it to the middling rather than to conductive product. However, both the Davis Tube and WLIMS approve a reasonable improvement in the Fe content from 22% to 37% with acceptable recoveries. The results of the Davis Tube show that there is an optimum magnetic field and particle size for maximization of Fe grade and recovery. Finally, further suggestions are highlighted for the physical beneficiation of studied bauxite residue with the purpose of maximizing iron grade and recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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Review

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28 pages, 4118 KiB  
Review
Circular Recycling Strategies for LFP Batteries: A Review Focusing on Hydrometallurgy Sustainable Processing
by David da Silva Vasconcelos, Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório, Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior and Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa
Metals 2023, 13(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030543 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8866
Abstract
The exponential growth of electric and hybrid vehicles in the last five years forecasts a waste problem when their batteries achieve end-of-life. Li-ion batteries for vehicles have been assembled using materials from natural resources (as Li, Fe, Al, Cu Co, Mn and P). [...] Read more.
The exponential growth of electric and hybrid vehicles in the last five years forecasts a waste problem when their batteries achieve end-of-life. Li-ion batteries for vehicles have been assembled using materials from natural resources (as Li, Fe, Al, Cu Co, Mn and P). Among them, LiFePO4 cathode materials have demonstrated advantages such as charge–discharge cycles, thermal stability, surface area and raw materials availability (against Ni and Co systems). Due to the performance, LFP batteries stand out in heavy duty fleet, achieving 90% of new energy buses in China. To achieve the circular economy, the recycling of LFP batteries may be carried out by pyrometallurgy (thermal processing), hydrometallurgy (aqueous processing) or both in combination. Comparatively, hydrometallurgical processing is more advantageous due to its low energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In addition, Li may be recovered in a high-pure grade. This work is a literature review of the current alternatives for the recycling of LFP batteries by hydrometallurgy, comparing designed processes in the literature and indicating solutions towards a circular economy. The major recycling steps of hydrometallurgy routes such as pre-treatments, leaching and purification steps will be gathered and discussed in terms of efficiency and environmental impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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34 pages, 3140 KiB  
Review
Designing of a Decentralized Pretreatment Line for EOL-LIBs Based on Recent Literature of LIB Recycling for Black Mass
by Dilshan Sandaruwan Premathilake, Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior, Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa and Mentore Vaccari
Metals 2023, 13(2), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020374 - 12 Feb 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2252
Abstract
The search for global CO2 net zero requires adapting transport vehicles to an electrification system for electric vehicles. In addition, the consumption of electric devices, and consequently batteries, has risen over the years. In order to achieve a circular economy, the spent [...] Read more.
The search for global CO2 net zero requires adapting transport vehicles to an electrification system for electric vehicles. In addition, the consumption of electric devices, and consequently batteries, has risen over the years. In order to achieve a circular economy, the spent batteries must be recycled. In this review, the recent literature about Lithium-ion Battery (LIB) recycling was thoroughly examined to propose a decentralized line where different types of LIBs can be pretreated. Different treatment possibilities and segments to include in a common line were identified and discussed. Crushing, density separation, drying, second crushing step, heating with CaO, vibro-sieving, washing and flotation-based separation were distinguished as the best segments to include in the mentioned order. As the conclusion, a new design that can be incorporated in an industrial pretreatment line before metallurgical steps is proposed for recycling of LIBs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation and Comprehensive Recovery of Valuable Metals)
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