378
N. F. Nissen et al.
26.4.4 Interviews with Recycling Companies
Interviews with companies involved in the recycling area should provide an overview
of arising and processed quantities. Apart from this, insights into existing recycling
processes are obtained. The focus was on the following questions to determine the
recyclability of the considered electronic components and to determine recycling
strategies:
• the existence of a recycling process
• the quantities arising and processed
• the respective recovery rate
• the resulting quality
• price information about the used metal
• consideration of the economic efficiency of the recycling of small quantities.
All the interviewed companies established recycling processes for scrap
containing tungsten, tantalum or neodymium which can be used for microloudspeakers and tantalum capacitors, but which have not yet been implemented with
vibration motor components. The processing of the vibration motors requires a further
process step in the pre-processing of the tungsten rings. According to Mühlbauer, this
can be done by mechanical processing into particles or powder (<1 mm
3 ) (Mühlbauer
2018). The quantities processed by the respective recycling companies are between
10 and 60,000 t/a and the recovery rates of the processes are between >90 and 100%.
For tungsten recycling, the recovery rate depends on the degree of leaching and
the slagging rate (Mühlbauer 2018). Ferro-tungsten is produced in the quality of W
75% and Fe 25%. The requirements for tungsten products are high, therefore homogeneous fractions with high purity are required for processing, especially for the
recovery of very small quantities, such as occur in the vibration motor (Mühlbauer
2018). Tantalum Recycling produces 87% tantalum powder while the other interviewed companies adapt the resulting quality to the desired product by adding the
necessary substances.
26.5 Conclusion
For the three investigated target metals tungsten, tantalum and neodymium rather low
end-of-life recycling rates have been determined in literature (Graedel et al. 2011):
• Tungsten: >10–25% end-of-life recycling rate
• Tantalum: <1% end-of-life recycling rate
• Neodymium: <1.35% end-of-life recycling rate.
Among the target metals, the recycling rate of 10–25% for tungsten is significantly
higher. This refers basically to the recycling of massive tungsten alloy parts (hard
metal) with high tungsten content and limited impurities.
N. F. Nissen et al.
26.4.4 Interviews with Recycling Companies
Interviews with companies involved in the recycling area should provide an overview
of arising and processed quantities. Apart from this, insights into existing recycling
processes are obtained. The focus was on the following questions to determine the
recyclability of the considered electronic components and to determine recycling
strategies:
• the existence of a recycling process
• the quantities arising and processed
• the respective recovery rate
• the resulting quality
• price information about the used metal
• consideration of the economic efficiency of the recycling of small quantities.
All the interviewed companies established recycling processes for scrap
containing tungsten, tantalum or neodymium which can be used for microloudspeakers and tantalum capacitors, but which have not yet been implemented with
vibration motor components. The processing of the vibration motors requires a further
process step in the pre-processing of the tungsten rings. According to Mühlbauer, this
can be done by mechanical processing into particles or powder (<1 mm
3 ) (Mühlbauer
2018). The quantities processed by the respective recycling companies are between
10 and 60,000 t/a and the recovery rates of the processes are between >90 and 100%.
For tungsten recycling, the recovery rate depends on the degree of leaching and
the slagging rate (Mühlbauer 2018). Ferro-tungsten is produced in the quality of W
75% and Fe 25%. The requirements for tungsten products are high, therefore homogeneous fractions with high purity are required for processing, especially for the
recovery of very small quantities, such as occur in the vibration motor (Mühlbauer
2018). Tantalum Recycling produces 87% tantalum powder while the other interviewed companies adapt the resulting quality to the desired product by adding the
necessary substances.
26.5 Conclusion
For the three investigated target metals tungsten, tantalum and neodymium rather low
end-of-life recycling rates have been determined in literature (Graedel et al. 2011):
• Tungsten: >10–25% end-of-life recycling rate
• Tantalum: <1% end-of-life recycling rate
• Neodymium: <1.35% end-of-life recycling rate.
Among the target metals, the recycling rate of 10–25% for tungsten is significantly
higher. This refers basically to the recycling of massive tungsten alloy parts (hard
metal) with high tungsten content and limited impurities.