METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING INDIUM FROM WASTE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

摘要

This invention provides a method and apparatus for recovering In in the form of an alloy or a metal simple substance as a valuable material from waste LCD. In the In recovery method and apparatus, there is no need to recover In as indium hydroxide, and In can be recovered as a valuable metal. Accordingly, unlike the case of indium hydroxide, the recovery does not suffer from poor handling, and In can easily be recovered through a filter or the like with significantly improved In recovery. The In recovery method is characterized by comprising crushing waste LCD containing indium tin oxide, dissolving indium tin oxide from the crushed waste LCD with an acid to give an indium compound-containing solution, allowing the solution to flow into a reactor for recovery and, further, adding particles of a metal having a larger ionization tendency than In into the reactor for recovery, fluidizing the metal particles, precipitating In or an In alloy contained in the indium compound-containing solution onto the surface of the metal particles, then separating the precipitated In or In alloy from the metal particles by separation means, and separating and recovering the separated solid In or In alloy from the liquid component.