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Journal article
Base metals recovery from waste printed circuit board leachate using biogenic hydrogen sulfide gas
Hydrometallurgy, Vol.228, 106341
2024
Abstract
Electronic waste, or e-waste, represents one of the rapidly expanding categories of waste worldwide. By 2019, the global production of e-waste had surged to 53.6 million tons. Due to its substantial metal content, e-waste holds significant financial value, estimated at US$57 billion globally in 2019, predominantly concentrated in printed circuit boards (PCBs). Previous studies have explored hydrometallurgy techniques to extract base metals from PCBs, but effectively recovering these solubilized metals remained a challenge. This research sought to assess metal recovery from PCB waste leachate by utilizing hydrogen sulfide generated through a consortium of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Both lactate and glycerol were examined as potential organic electron donors for the sulfate reduction. With lactate (1 g L−1) as the electron donor, the FBR achieved an average sulfate reduction efficiency of 62%, with a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production rate of 250 mg H2S-S L−1 d−1 and H2S-S concentration of 300 mg L−1 in the effluent. When glycerol was the organic electron donor, the average sulfate reduction efficiency was 49%, H2S production rate was 210 mg H2S-S L−1 d−1 and H2S-S concentration was 260 mg L−1. Desulfovibrio, Desulfococcus and Desulfomicrobium were the dominant sulfate reducers in the FBR. The resulting dissolved hydrogen sulfide was employed to recover metals from e-waste leach liquor. Utilizing biogenic sulfide and NaOH, a notably high precipitation efficiency (>99%) was attained for aluminum, nickel, copper, and zinc. Additionally, iron, utilized in the e-waste leaching process, was also recovered with an efficiency exceeding 99%. The precipitation of metals occurred within a pH range from 1.5 to 8.5. Overall, this process facilitated the formation of valuable mixed-metal precipitates from waste PCB-derived leachate. These precipitates could undergo further purification or serve as raw material for subsequent processes.
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Details
- Title
- Base metals recovery from waste printed circuit board leachate using biogenic hydrogen sulfide gas
- Authors/Creators
- Jonovan Van Yken - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Environment, 147 Underwood Avenue, Floreat, WA 6014, AustraliaNaomi J. Boxall - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationKa Yu Cheng - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Environment, 147 Underwood Avenue, Floreat, WA 6014, AustraliaAleksandar N. Nikoloski - Murdoch University, Centre for Water, Energy and WasteNavid R. Moheimani - Murdoch University, Centre for Water, Energy and WasteAnna H. Kaksonen - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Publication Details
- Hydrometallurgy, Vol.228, 106341
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Identifiers
- 991005674867707891
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Water, Energy and Waste; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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