THE RECYCLING OF COBALT FROM ALLOY SCRAP, SPENT BATTERIES OR CATALYSTS AND METALLURGICAL RESIDUES - AN OVERVIEW

摘要

In 2011, the US Department of Energy declared cobalt a critical metal, one of 15 such metals deemed to be indispensable but in a risky supply situation in the near future for the production of clean energy. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the supply of primary cobalt from Central Africa, it is more and more imperative to improve the recycling of cobalt from its various uses. This paper reviews methods to recycle cobalt from the scraps of various alloys, from spent rechargeable batteries or spent catalysts and from metallurgical residues, presenting both actual and suggested processes.