Method for treating waste containing precious metals and device for implementing said method

Abstract

The application relates to a method for treating waste containing precious metals, said method comprising the following successive steps: the waste is brought into contact with a composition based on molten lead; the mixture obtained is skimmed; and the skimmed mixture is refined by electrolysis in such a way as to recover the precious metals. The application also relates to a waste treatment installation for implementing said method.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a National Phase Entry of International Application No. PCT / FR2007 / 001728, filed Oct. 19, 2007, which claims priority to French Patent Application No. 0609219, filed Oct. 20, 2006, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a method for treating waste containing precious metals as well as a device for implementing this method.TECHNICAL BACKGROUND[0003]The increase in the use of calculating machines, mobile phones, electronic apparatuses and other short life high-tech apparatuses generates an increasing amount of waste containing rare and precious metals. This situation poses the problem of recovering and treating the metals contained in this waste. Such waste is thus a real source of non-ferrous, rare and precious metals.[0004]Electronic waste is presently collected, exported and treated in large industrial complexes for non-ferrous metals often requi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0060]The present invention makes it is possible to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the art. It more particularly provides a specific method for treating and recovering waste containing precious metals, which harmoniously combines metallurgical sequences and avoids dilution of the contained metals in a production flow of primary metals. The invention also provides a single installation for separating the constituents from the waste and in particular for recovering precious metals.

[0062]The method according to the invention is very flexible and it may be adapted to foreseeable changes in the composition of electronic cards.

[0064]With the invention, it is possible to retain metals in the metal form as much as possible: precious metals are kept in the metal form throughout the method, and the lead and tin are kept in the metal form right up to step (d) included. This makes it possible to minimize the carrying away of the precious metals by metal oxides.

Problems solved by technology

The increase in the use of calculating machines, mobile phones, electronic apparatuses and other short life high-tech apparatuses generates an increasing amount of waste containing rare and precious metals.

This situation poses the problem of recovering and treating the metals contained in this waste.

Present methods are therefore optimized in order to produce lead, copper or pure zinc in large amounts, but they are poorly adapted for producing rare and precious metals present in small amounts.

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