No Cover Image

Journal article 291 views 291 downloads

Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA

Yu Li, Jenny Baker, Yaxi Fang, Haizhou Cao, Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Trystan Watson, Sha Chen, Guangling Zhao

Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Volume: 7, Pages: 275 - 285

Swansea University Author: Guangling Zhao

  • 68710.VoR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.

    Download (1004.94KB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.01.005

Abstract

Copper anode slime (CAS) is a byproduct produced during copper electrorefining process. It contains metals such as gold, silver, copper, selenium, tellurium etc. Without proper treatment, CAS posed significant environmental hazard due to its toxic components. Recovering critical metals from CAS not...

Full description

Published in: Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
ISSN: 2590-1826
Published: Elsevier BV 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68710
first_indexed 2025-01-20T11:40:51Z
last_indexed 2025-01-20T14:40:48Z
id cronfa68710
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-01-20T11:49:08.2238889</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>68710</id><entry>2025-01-20</entry><title>Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>20da587f584c918135bfb383eaaec62c</sid><firstname>Guangling</firstname><surname>Zhao</surname><name>Guangling Zhao</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-01-20</date><deptcode>EAAS</deptcode><abstract>Copper anode slime (CAS) is a byproduct produced during copper electrorefining process. It contains metals such as gold, silver, copper, selenium, tellurium etc. Without proper treatment, CAS posed significant environmental hazard due to its toxic components. Recovering critical metals from CAS not only mitigates environmental risks but also serves as an important source of these valuable materials. Recycling of critical metals can significantly enhance metal recycling efficiency and support the advancement of a circular economy. However, this process could introduce potential environmental impacts due to the increased consumption of energy, chemical material, and water. The process requires comprehensive assessment. In this study, life cycle assessment is employed to evaluate the potential environmental impact of the four resource recovery processes for copper anode slime: pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, semi-hydrometallurgy, and combining bio-hydrometallurgy and semi-hydrometallurgy (CBS). The functional unit is 1 kg of copper anode slime. 5 metals are recycled during the process named: cupper (Cu), tellurium (Te), selenium (Se), gold (Au), and silver (Ag). Six impact categories&#x2014;climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, human toxicity (cancer), and human toxicity (non-cancer)&#x2014;were assessed and compared across the four recycling technologies. The LCA results show that CBS has the lowest environmental impact among all the assessed impact categories. CBS process demonstrated superior metal recovery rates. Hydrometallurgy has the lowest energy and material costs. CBS incurs higher total costs due to the use of expensive chemicals like potassium iodide.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology</journal><volume>7</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>275</paginationStart><paginationEnd>285</paginationEnd><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>2590-1826</issnPrint><issnElectronic/><keywords>Copper anode slime; Life cycle assessment; Critical metal recovery technology; Cost analysis</keywords><publishedDay>16</publishedDay><publishedMonth>1</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-01-16</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.enceco.2025.01.005</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Engineering and Applied Sciences School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>EAAS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>External research funder(s) paid the OA fee (includes OA grants disbursed by the Library)</apcterm><funders>UKRI (EP/W019167/1)</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-01-20T11:49:08.2238889</lastEdited><Created>2025-01-20T11:36:34.1756431</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Yu</firstname><surname>Li</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Jenny</firstname><surname>Baker</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Yaxi</firstname><surname>Fang</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Haizhou</firstname><surname>Cao</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Cameron</firstname><surname>Pleydell-Pearce</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Trystan</firstname><surname>Watson</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Sha</firstname><surname>Chen</surname><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Guangling</firstname><surname>Zhao</surname><order>8</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>68710__33373__9650bebd67f94755919cb5f783084fe6.pdf</filename><originalFilename>68710.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-01-20T11:41:35.7917403</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1029062</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-01-20T11:49:08.2238889 v2 68710 2025-01-20 Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA 20da587f584c918135bfb383eaaec62c Guangling Zhao Guangling Zhao true false 2025-01-20 EAAS Copper anode slime (CAS) is a byproduct produced during copper electrorefining process. It contains metals such as gold, silver, copper, selenium, tellurium etc. Without proper treatment, CAS posed significant environmental hazard due to its toxic components. Recovering critical metals from CAS not only mitigates environmental risks but also serves as an important source of these valuable materials. Recycling of critical metals can significantly enhance metal recycling efficiency and support the advancement of a circular economy. However, this process could introduce potential environmental impacts due to the increased consumption of energy, chemical material, and water. The process requires comprehensive assessment. In this study, life cycle assessment is employed to evaluate the potential environmental impact of the four resource recovery processes for copper anode slime: pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, semi-hydrometallurgy, and combining bio-hydrometallurgy and semi-hydrometallurgy (CBS). The functional unit is 1 kg of copper anode slime. 5 metals are recycled during the process named: cupper (Cu), tellurium (Te), selenium (Se), gold (Au), and silver (Ag). Six impact categories—climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, human toxicity (cancer), and human toxicity (non-cancer)—were assessed and compared across the four recycling technologies. The LCA results show that CBS has the lowest environmental impact among all the assessed impact categories. CBS process demonstrated superior metal recovery rates. Hydrometallurgy has the lowest energy and material costs. CBS incurs higher total costs due to the use of expensive chemicals like potassium iodide. Journal Article Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 7 275 285 Elsevier BV 2590-1826 Copper anode slime; Life cycle assessment; Critical metal recovery technology; Cost analysis 16 1 2025 2025-01-16 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.01.005 COLLEGE NANME Engineering and Applied Sciences School COLLEGE CODE EAAS Swansea University External research funder(s) paid the OA fee (includes OA grants disbursed by the Library) UKRI (EP/W019167/1) 2025-01-20T11:49:08.2238889 2025-01-20T11:36:34.1756431 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering Yu Li 1 Jenny Baker 2 Yaxi Fang 3 Haizhou Cao 4 Cameron Pleydell-Pearce 5 Trystan Watson 6 Sha Chen 7 Guangling Zhao 8 68710__33373__9650bebd67f94755919cb5f783084fe6.pdf 68710.VoR.pdf 2025-01-20T11:41:35.7917403 Output 1029062 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
spellingShingle Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
Guangling Zhao
title_short Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
title_full Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
title_fullStr Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
title_full_unstemmed Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
title_sort Comparative environmental impacts analysis of technologies for recovering critical metals from copper anode slime: Insights from LCA
author_id_str_mv 20da587f584c918135bfb383eaaec62c
author_id_fullname_str_mv 20da587f584c918135bfb383eaaec62c_***_Guangling Zhao
author Guangling Zhao
author2 Yu Li
Jenny Baker
Yaxi Fang
Haizhou Cao
Cameron Pleydell-Pearce
Trystan Watson
Sha Chen
Guangling Zhao
format Journal article
container_title Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
container_volume 7
container_start_page 275
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 2590-1826
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.enceco.2025.01.005
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Copper anode slime (CAS) is a byproduct produced during copper electrorefining process. It contains metals such as gold, silver, copper, selenium, tellurium etc. Without proper treatment, CAS posed significant environmental hazard due to its toxic components. Recovering critical metals from CAS not only mitigates environmental risks but also serves as an important source of these valuable materials. Recycling of critical metals can significantly enhance metal recycling efficiency and support the advancement of a circular economy. However, this process could introduce potential environmental impacts due to the increased consumption of energy, chemical material, and water. The process requires comprehensive assessment. In this study, life cycle assessment is employed to evaluate the potential environmental impact of the four resource recovery processes for copper anode slime: pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, semi-hydrometallurgy, and combining bio-hydrometallurgy and semi-hydrometallurgy (CBS). The functional unit is 1 kg of copper anode slime. 5 metals are recycled during the process named: cupper (Cu), tellurium (Te), selenium (Se), gold (Au), and silver (Ag). Six impact categories—climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, human toxicity (cancer), and human toxicity (non-cancer)—were assessed and compared across the four recycling technologies. The LCA results show that CBS has the lowest environmental impact among all the assessed impact categories. CBS process demonstrated superior metal recovery rates. Hydrometallurgy has the lowest energy and material costs. CBS incurs higher total costs due to the use of expensive chemicals like potassium iodide.
published_date 2025-01-16T07:30:40Z
_version_ 1850743183906963456
score 11.08895

Similar Items