A review of non-conventional metals extracting technologies from ore and waste

In recent years several kinds of gas phase methods/techniques, utilizing organic ligands, have been developed to recover metals from low grade ore or slag, for the removal of heavy metals from industrial waste, as well as solution purification. These methods include, extraction of metals in fluidized bed reactors using organic chelating compounds such as the SERVO process, and metal extraction by supercritical fluid extraction with CO2 (SEC), followed by a potential method to recycle the metal and regenerate the ligand. These methods are hydrogen reduction, electrochemical separation and acid stripping. This review looks at the extraction of metals by organic ligands, and a brief introduction to the advantages and disadvantages of these two techniques (SERVO and SFC) is presented. A comparison of metal extraction using the two techniques is presented: some conventional methods are discussed, as well as the problems they present. Selected results of the extraction of iron by a gasified ligand in a fluidized reactor are shown to illustrate the potential application and success of this approach. Kinetic models governing such gas-solid state reactions are discussed, and possible ways to recycle the ligand(s) and recover metals in their pure (reduced) state highlighted. Finally, some ideas and suggestions for improvements in the research that had been carried out to date, as well as further future developments deserving attention, are suggested in the conclusion. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.