A plurality of different metals, including precious metals, platinum group metals, rare earth elements, alkaline earth metals, etc., can be electrochemically recovered from waste materials such as ashes and e-waste, e.g., printed circuit boards. Waste feed stocks are treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 (scCO.sub.2) and acid to produce a solid delaminated waste and a liquid delaminated waste for recovery of elemental metals and metal compounds from each. Carbonation reactions can be used to convert and recover alkaline earth metals from the liquid delaminated waste. The solid delaminated waste can yield a solid gold product, and be further treated along with the liquid delaminated waste via a solvent including one or more organic ligands that bind target metals to form metal-ligand complexes. Electrochemical separation of the different metals, e.g., via stepwise variation of pH to release the metals from organic ligands having different pKa values, yields high purity metal product streams.

A plurality of different metals, including precious metals, platinum group metals, rare earth elements, alkaline earth metals, etc., can be electrochemically recovered from waste materials such as ashes and e-waste, e.g., printed circuit boards. Waste feed stocks are treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 (scCO.sub.2) and acid to produce a solid delaminated waste and a liquid delaminated waste for recovery of elemental metals and metal compounds from each. Carbonation reactions can be used to convert and recover alkaline earth metals from the liquid delaminated waste. The solid delaminated waste can yield a solid gold product, and be further treated along with the liquid delaminated waste via a solvent including one or more organic ligands that bind target metals to form metal-ligand complexes. Electrochemical separation of the different metals, e.g., via stepwise variation of pH to release the metals from organic ligands having different pKa values, yields high purity metal product streams.

A compound or complex containing a rare earth element is impinged with a pulsed laser that is so controlled as to photochemically reduce and obtain a rare earth metal (REM). A mixture of REM salts can be impinged using laser light tuned to selectively reduce a particular rare earth-containing salt of the mixture to separate out as its respective rare earth metal.

A compound or complex containing a rare earth element is impinged with a pulsed laser that is so controlled as to photochemically reduce and obtain a rare earth metal (REM). A mixture of REM salts can be impinged using laser light tuned to selectively reduce a particular rare earth-containing salt of the mixture to separate out as its respective rare earth metal.

Methods are proposed for extracting transition metal oxides from scrap batteries by dissolving the metal oxides in a glass-forming oxide melt, followed by electrolytic reduction of the transition metal onto the cathode of an electrolytic cell. Suitable glass-forming oxide melts include borate and pyrophosphate melts with added Na.sub.2O or NaF. The method is particularly suited to the recovery of cobalt, nickel, and manganese from scrap battery and electronic materials. A preferred recycling process includes first recovering lithium metal from scrap battery material, and then extracting transition metal oxides from the lithium-depleted material.

A method of improving leach kinetics and recovery during atmospheric or above-atmospheric leaching of a metal sulfide is disclosed. A system for practicing the aforementioned method is also disclosed. Apparatus for practicing the aforementioned method is also disclosed. A new composition of matter which is formed by the aforementioned method, and which may be utilized in the system and apparatus is further disclosed. The new composition of matter may exhibit improved leach kinetics, and may have some utility in the semi-conductor arts, including uses within photovoltaic materials.

A method of improving leach kinetics and recovery during atmospheric or above-atmospheric leaching of a metal sulfide is disclosed. A system for practicing the aforementioned method is also disclosed. Apparatus for practicing the aforementioned method is also disclosed. A new composition of matter which is formed by the aforementioned method, and which may be utilized in the system and apparatus is further disclosed. The new composition of matter may exhibit improved leach kinetics, and may have some utility in the semi-conductor arts, including uses within photovoltaic materials.

Ultrafast flash Joule heating synthesis methods and systems, and more particularly, ultrafast synthesis methods to recover metal from ores, fly ash, and bauxite residue (red mud).

Ultrafast flash Joule heating synthesis methods and systems, and more particularly, ultrafast synthesis methods to recover metal from ores, fly ash, and bauxite residue (red mud).

This invention deals with a system using aqueous means for solubilizing chemical components contained in sulphur type ore concentrate which may contain iron, cobalt, niquel, copper, platinum group metals and other metals considered valuable and of commercial interest. Apart from that, a method using aqueous means for solubilizing such components is described.