This invention provides a method for recovering valuable metals from
germanium-
antimony-
tellurium alloy waste, comprising three steps: surface treatment,
chlorine reaction and compartment condensation, and
discharge. Surface treatment removes the
oxide film from the waste surface, improving the efficiency of the subsequent
chlorine reaction. A self-made integrated chlorination-step condensation device is then used to react
germanium-
antimony-
tellurium with
chlorine at high temperature to generate gaseous chlorides. Based on the
boiling point differences of
tellurium tetrachloride,
antimony pentachloride, and
germanium tetrachloride, step-by-step condensation and separation are achieved through compartment
temperature control, and the target products are collected separately. Finally,
inert gas is introduced to purge
residual chlorine, and the material is safely discharged. This invention features a short process flow, eliminates the need for complex wet
processing steps, and requires low equipment investment. The integrated device efficiently separates
metal chlorides, ensuring thorough
recovery. Furthermore, it primarily uses pyrometallurgical methods, generating no
wastewater and only requiring compliant
tail gas treatment, making it
environmentally friendly. Compared to traditional wet processes, it offers significant advantages such as high efficiency, low cost, and environmental friendliness.