Pyrometallurgical Processing

Abstract

Conventional metal recycling processes are often based on the primary process routes, meaning that pyrometallurgical processes are applied for the recycling of e.g. copper, lead and steel. Metal casings, external cables and other materials (made of aluminum, steel or copper), separated from WEEE by hand sorting/disassembly, are usually sent to primary or secondary smelters. The process steps depend on the metal content of the secondary raw material, other constituents, size, etc. Nevertheless, for the recycling of metals from complex EOL scrap, such as PCBs, catalysts, LCD, etc., purely hydro- or pyrometallurgical processes are usually not efficient, making a more complex process route necessary.