TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermodynamic considerations for a pyrometallurgical extraction of indium and silver from a jarosite residue

AU - Steinlechner, Stefan

AU - Antrekowitsch, Jürgen

PY - 2018/5/9

Y1 - 2018/5/9

N2 - Indium and silver are technologically important, critical metals, and in the majority of cases, they are extracted as a by-product of another carrier metal. The importance of indium has seen recent growth, and for technological reasons, these metals can be found in industrial residues from primary zinc production, such as the iron precipitate—jarosite. To secure the supply of such metals in Europe, and with the idea of a circular economy and the sustainable use of raw materials, the recycling of such industrial residues is coming into focus. Due to the low value of jarosite, the focus must lie simultaneously on the recovery of valuable metals and the production of high-quality products in order to pursue an economical process. The objective of this article is to give the fundamentals for the development of a successful process to extract the minor elements from roasted jarosite. As such, we use thermodynamic calculations to show the behavior of indium and silver, leading to a recommendation for the required conditions for a successful extraction process. In summary, the formation of chlorine compounds shows high potential to meet the challenge of simultaneously recovering these metals together with zinc at the lowest possible energy input.

AB - Indium and silver are technologically important, critical metals, and in the majority of cases, they are extracted as a by-product of another carrier metal. The importance of indium has seen recent growth, and for technological reasons, these metals can be found in industrial residues from primary zinc production, such as the iron precipitate—jarosite. To secure the supply of such metals in Europe, and with the idea of a circular economy and the sustainable use of raw materials, the recycling of such industrial residues is coming into focus. Due to the low value of jarosite, the focus must lie simultaneously on the recovery of valuable metals and the production of high-quality products in order to pursue an economical process. The objective of this article is to give the fundamentals for the development of a successful process to extract the minor elements from roasted jarosite. As such, we use thermodynamic calculations to show the behavior of indium and silver, leading to a recommendation for the required conditions for a successful extraction process. In summary, the formation of chlorine compounds shows high potential to meet the challenge of simultaneously recovering these metals together with zinc at the lowest possible energy input.

KW - Indium

KW - Industrial residue

KW - Jarosite

KW - Process development

KW - Pyrometallurgy

KW - Recycling

KW - Selective extraction

KW - Silver

KW - Simultaneous recovery

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046858106&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/met8050335

DO - 10.3390/met8050335

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85046858106

VL - 8.2018

JO - Metals : open access journal

JF - Metals : open access journal

SN - 2075-4701

IS - 5

M1 - 335

ER -