Development and Validation of Metal Separation Technology for Complex Metal Streams

The goal of the proposed work is to develop, design, and demonstrate novel bench scale processes for efficient, low-cost, and environmentally benign elemental separation from low concentration solutions obtained from leaching of electronic waste (e-waste) processing streams. These are key processes for the recovery of valuable materials from e-waste and will provide a pathway to profitable recycling processes for high-value metals. Separation of multiple elements from complex metal-bearing waste streams (with low concentration) through traditional metal separation processes, such as solvent extraction (SX), ion exchange (IX), and precipitation, is economically and environmentally challenging. The objective of this proposal is to evaluate two innovative processes/technology, viz., electrosterically stabilized nanocrystalline cellulose (ENCC), and Continuous Ion Exchange and Ion Chromatography (CIX-CIC) with modified zeolite and polymers, for the separation of Al, Cu, Au, Ag, and Pd from e-waste streams (i.e., printed wiring boards).