Recycling Metal-Rich Industrial Byproducts

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Recycling Metal-Rich Industrial Byproducts

• Paul Queneau
• Consulting Metallurgical Engineer
• The Bear Group
• Golden, Colorado
• Pqueneau_at_mines.edu
• Center for Resource Recovery
• and Recycling
• Graduate Seminar Lecture Series

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SPECIALTY RECYCLERS

• Access to physical separation, hydromet, and
  pyromet processing.
• Blend difficult-to-recycle materials with
  higher-volume rich materials.
• Utilization of waste reagents
• Target Cu, Ni, Co, pms, Sn, and Zn.

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All Inputs Exit in Plant Products
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SPECIALTY RECYCLERS

• Ideally all inputs exit as products.
• Insol / difficult impurities in filter cake
• for smelters, cement, steel, or fertilizer.
• Na, K, and Mg as sulfates or chlorides to
  municipal water treatment.

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Agmets 110-ft x 10-ft Kiln
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AGMET METALS / Ohio

• Oakwood Village Maple Heights - 1981
• Crush, shred, screen, magnetics, blend...
• Niche 110 X 10-foot kiln / Heat recovery
• Ni-Co catalyst ? nickel smelter
• Upgrading for Xstrata Tons ? Grade ?

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Refinery Basement Clean-Out
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Crushing at Agmet Metals
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Shredder for Filter Cloths
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Spent Fatty Ni Catalyst
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Unloading Slurry
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ALPHA OMEGA RECYCLING
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ALPHA OMEGA RECYCLING

• Longview, TX 1986 NTR Metals (Dallas)
• Niche is versatility EW (Ni) SX (Zn)
• Four leach circuits Ni gt Cu gt Co gt Mo
• NiCu basic carbonate to Ni smelter
• Gypsum Fe(OH)3 kiln vs landfill
• CrNiAl to SS Cr(6) acid, pigment, or ore

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Sludge Disperser
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Presses for Metal Salt Recovery
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Precious Metals Processing
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Rain Water Storage
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GREENVILLE METALS
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GREENVILLE METALS

• Transfer, PA 1953 Precision Castparts
• Toll recycling into remelt ingot scrap,
  grindings, splatters, turnings
• Niche is Ni-Co-rich alloys (50 MM lb)
• Milling, briquetting, electric furnacing,
• AOD refining, and shotting

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Greenville Metals Splatters Feed
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Degrease to Reject Carbon Sulfur
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Tap Arc Furnace and Cast
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Induction Melting / Shotting
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MARKET NICHES

• Superior service and technology
• Secure access to feeds and markets
• Economics of scale
• Access to waste outlets

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Waelz Kilns _at_ Horsehead
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HORSEHEAD

• Niche is low-alloy EAF dust ? ZnO
• 500,000 tpy dust at four locations
• Waelz kilns Barnwell, SC INMETCO
• Alkaline batteries Cash rich Accident
• Fe-rich kiln slag ? cement production
• Competition - SeverCorr at Millport, AL

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The Monaca Zinc Smelter -Owned by Horsehead
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Zinc Distillation
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Where We Have Been

• Agmet Kiln ? Smelter feedstock
• Alpha Omega Creative hydromet
• Greenville Metals Segregate to ingot
• Horsehead Kilns to ZnO via EAF dust

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INMETCO Process Flow Diagram
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INMETCO

• Ellwood City, PA - 1978
• Niche is Cr-rich secondaries ? CrNiFe ingot
  (gt80,000 stpy)
• Extensive feed prep and blending
• Rotary-hearth electric furnace
• Major recycler of NiCd batteries
• Spent HDS Catalyst

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Pelletizing / Pickle Liquor
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Rotary Hearth Furnace
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Electric Furnace Melting
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Cadmium from NiCd Batteries
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Micronutrients in Indianapolis
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MICRONUTRIENTS

• Indianapolis, IN - 1994
• Heritage Environmental Services
  
• Niche is low reagent use to produce copper and
  zinc micronutrient
• Spent PWB etchant and Cu to produce
  3Cu(OH)2CuCl2
• Galvanizers ash for 3Zn(OH)2ZnCl2

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Micronutrients Manufacturing PlantShenzhen, PRC
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TBCC Product to Feed
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Chemicals at Old Bridge
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OLD BRIDGE CHEMICALS

• Old Bridge, NJ 1952 Dec 2009 ?
• Niche is Cu-Zn separation
• Brass mill fines to Cu Zn sulfate
• Galvanizer ash to ZnCl2
• Two more digesters (11 total)

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MAJOR COMPONENTS

• Transportation
• Operating cost
• Sales revenues
• Regulatory, fines, liabilities

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Ion Exchange at Siemens
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Siemens Water Technologies

• Roseville, MN 88 Vernon, CA 98
• Niche is coast-to-coast ion exchange
• Services metal finishing industries FeCl3
• Utilizes waste oxidizers, acids, bases
• Uses IX, EW, oxidation, and pptn. to produce Cu
  cake and Ni cathode

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HCl Recovery / Economics
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WORLD RESOURCESPottsville, PA
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WORLD RESOURCES

• Pottsville, PA, Phoenix, AZ, and
• Wurzen, Germany
• Niche is pms-Cu-Ni-rich filter cakes from metal
  finishing
• Maintains high-tonnage generators on contract
  for key inputs
• Creates products suitable for smelting

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WORLD RESOURCESDigestion Tanks
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Roll-off Loading a SolarConditioning Receptacle
Pad4.5 Acres concrete bird nets above
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Where We Have Been

• INMETCO Outputs NiCrFe ingot and Cd
• Micronutrients Mix two wastes for riches
• Old Bridge Dominate mixed CuZn feeds
• Siemens Water Ion exchange on wheels
• World Resources Create wealth by blending

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PARTING THOUGHTS

• An established niche
• Competition for less feedstock containing low
  metal concentrations
• Full service Physical Hydro Pyro
• Supply secondary ingot instead of cake
• Parting Thought
• Energy ? Wealth ? Green ? Brown