Leaching Process Applied to Fluorescent Lamps of Different Brands to Obtain Rare Earth Elements: A case study in Peru

Authors

Quintana, María

Valerio, Joe

Hojenska, Agnieszka

Łukowiak, Anna

Rodriguez, Juan

Rivera, Harry

Abstract

In this work, the results in the various stages of rare earths recycling from Phillips branded fluorescent lamps compared with generic products are presented. To characterize the products, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was used. The results indicate that the rare earth elements present in the material before recycling are: cerium (Ce), europium (Eu), lanthanum (La), terbium (Tb), and yttrium (Y). Besides, Phillips brand fluorescent lamps have a higher percentage of rare earths by mass than generic ones. After characterizing the fluorescent raw powder, the multi-stage acid leaching method was used as a working method for recycling, obtaining as a relevant result the complete extraction of yttrium.