Mobile factory for the recovery by hydrometallurgical processes of precious and critical metals from WEEE

de | septum. 15, 2015 | News

At the invitation launched by Greentronics, a company specialized in the collection, treatment, recycling and reuse of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), based in Alexandria, Teleorman County, ECOTIC representatives participated on September 30 in the presentation of the mobile factory for recovery by hydrometallurgical processes of precious and critical metals from WEEE.

It is part of the HydroWEEE Demo research project and benefits from funding from the European Union's 7th Research Framework Program.

The objective of HydroWEEE Demo is the recovery through innovative hydrometallurgical processes of rare earths and precious metals from WEEE, including lamps and batteries.

In order to test the performance of the processes and to demonstrate their viability from an integrated point of view (technical-economic-operational-social), including the assessment of risks and benefits for society and the environment, two industrial installations were built (one stationary and one mobile).

The stationary factory is located in Milan and has been operated for 12 months by the partner Relight Srl, and the mobile factory is currently in Alexandria, being operated by the partner Greentronics SRL.

The mobile factory is a replica adapted to the mobility concept of the stationary one. The equipment is installed in two containers provided with lifting rings in order to move them to various work points in Europe.

The main equipment of the mobile installation:

  • Leaching / Purification Reactor
  • Filter presses
  • Reactor for precipitation of the rare earth mix
  • Wastewater treatment plant
  • Emission treatment plant
  • Interconnection elements
  • Reagent tanks

Approximate capacity of the mobile installation (220 days, 2 shifts):

waste Capacity (tons) Input WEEE (tonnes)
Fluorescent lamps 315 10.000
Cathode ray tubes 315 150.000
Liquid crystal display 420 7.000
Printed circuits 315 315
Li-Ion batteries 140 280

More information:

http://www.4980.timewarp.at/sat/hydroWEEE/