Challenges in scale-up of bio‑hydrometallurgical treatment of electronic waste: from laboratory-based research to practical industrial applications

Ana Cecilia Chaine Escobar*, Andrew S. Hursthouse, Eric D. van Hullebusch

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

E-waste is rapidly growing in volume as a result of increasing consumption and reduced life expectancy of electronic products. Energy-intensive and cost-inefficient methods like pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy following chemical and/or physical separation steps are generally implemented for metal recovery from e-waste. As an environmentally sounder option, biohydrometallurgy was developed using microorganisms and their metabolic products to solubilize and recover metals from insoluble matrices like e-waste. Bioleaching applications to e-waste are still at the early stages of development and a techno-economic analysis indicates it is not yet viable. This review assesses peer-reviewed data gathered to establish the Technology Readiness Level of biohydrometallurgy for material recovery from e-waste at a pilot scale allowing the conclusion that bioleaching at the commercial scale currently faces diverse operational challenges that hamper its scale-up and industrial implementation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSustainable Management of Electronic Waste
EditorsAbhishek Kumar, Pramod Singh Rathore, Ashutosh Kumar Dubey, Arun Lal Srivastav, T. Ananth Kumar, Vishal Dutt
Place of PublicationHoboken, NJ
PublisherScrivener Publishing
Chapter16
Pages301-340
Number of pages40
ISBN (Electronic)9781394166923
ISBN (Print)9781394166176
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Feb 2024

Keywords

  • E-waste
  • biohydrometallurgy
  • bioleaching
  • metal extraction
  • recycling
  • technology readiness level

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