Mechanochemical-Assisted Leaching of Lamp Phosphors: A Green Engineering Approach for Rare-Earth Recovery

Steff Van Loy, Koen Binnemans, Tom Van Gerven

Engineering ›› 2018, Vol. 4 ›› Issue (3) : 398-405.

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Engineering ›› 2018, Vol. 4 ›› Issue (3) : 398-405. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.015
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Research Green Industrial Processes—Article

Mechanochemical-Assisted Leaching of Lamp Phosphors: A Green Engineering Approach for Rare-Earth Recovery

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Abstract

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are essential metals for the design and development of sustainable energy applications. Recycling these elements from waste streams enriched in them is crucial for securing an independent future supply for sustainable applications. This study compares the mechanisms of mechanical activation prior to a hydrometallurgical acid-leaching process and a solvometallurgical mechanochemical leaching process for the recovery of REEs from green lamp phosphor, LaPO4:Ce3+,Tb3+. After 60 min of processing time, the REE leaching rates showed a significant enhancement of 60% after cycled mechanical activation, and 98% after the combined mechanochemical leaching process. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) imaging disclosed the cause for the improved REE leaching rates: The improved leaching and leaching patterns could be attributed to changes in the crystal morphology from monocrystalline to polycrystalline. Reduction of the crystallite size to the nanoscale in a polycrystalline material creates irregular packing of chemical units, resulting in an increase in defect-rich grain boundaries in the crystals, which enhances the leaching process. A solvometallurgical method was developed to combine the mechanical activation and leaching process into a single step, which is beneficial for operational cost. This results in an efficient and simple process that provides an alternative and greener recycling route for lamp phosphor waste.

Keywords

Mechanochemistry / Rare-earth elements / Lamp phosphor waste / Ball-milling / Solvometallurgy

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Steff Van Loy, Koen Binnemans, Tom Van Gerven. Mechanochemical-Assisted Leaching of Lamp Phosphors: A Green Engineering Approach for Rare-Earth Recovery. Engineering, 2018, 4(3): 398‒405 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2018.05.015

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by KU Leuven (GOA/13/008 and IOF-KP RARE3). Steff Van Loy thanks FWO-Flanders for a SB PhD fellowship (1S23518N). Koen Binnemans acknowledges the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon2020 Research and Innovation Programme: Grant Agreement 694078—Solvometallurgy for critical metals (SOLCRIMET). The authors would like to extend their gratitude to Alexander Neirinckx and the Electron Microscopy for Materials Science Research Group (EMAT, University of Antwerp) for their support in the HR-TEM imaging.
Compliance with ethics guidelines

Steff Van Loy, Koen Binnemans, and Tom Van Gerven declare that they have no conflict of interest or financial conflicts to disclose.

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