169
purposes and are not easily replaced due to their particular properties. More critical
rare elements such as gallium, germanium, and indium, besides some rare earth elements, have unique properties, which makes them especially important in the electronics industry. Moreover, all phosphors of different luminous flux values used in the
lighting industry include rare earth elements (Ayres and Pieró 2017).
9.5 The LED Production Chain
Kitai (2011) described the most common method used to produce LEDs, the metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), which may also be called metal-organic
chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). In this method, molecules formed by atoms
Fig. 9.6 Microphotograph of a LED. (Source: Gassmann et al. 2016)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Y
L u
Concentration [mg/kg]
Ce
Eu
Fig. 9.7 The estimated concentration of rare earth elements in 50 retrofit bulbs. (Source: CycLED
2017)
9 Recycling Processes for the Recovery of Metal from E-waste of the LED Industry
purposes and are not easily replaced due to their particular properties. More critical
rare elements such as gallium, germanium, and indium, besides some rare earth elements, have unique properties, which makes them especially important in the electronics industry. Moreover, all phosphors of different luminous flux values used in the
lighting industry include rare earth elements (Ayres and Pieró 2017).
9.5 The LED Production Chain
Kitai (2011) described the most common method used to produce LEDs, the metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE), which may also be called metal-organic
chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). In this method, molecules formed by atoms
Fig. 9.6 Microphotograph of a LED. (Source: Gassmann et al. 2016)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Y
L u
Concentration [mg/kg]
Ce
Eu
Fig. 9.7 The estimated concentration of rare earth elements in 50 retrofit bulbs. (Source: CycLED
2017)
9 Recycling Processes for the Recovery of Metal from E-waste of the LED Industry