Recovery of Metals in LED Lamps

The research project to recover metals found in LED derived from tubular lamps, relates to increasing use of LED technology diffused in lighting products (lamps, car headlights, screens and displays of mobiles, TV’s, among others electro electronics) and the expected rise in generation of light emitting diodes solid residue, which had critical, valuable and hazardous metals in composition. Therefore, recycling demand of LED waste emerges and the first step to encourage this movement is study the recovery of metals.

The research focused tubular LED lamps, due to its easy collection (quantity of LEDs per lamp and easy access if compared with TV’s, computers screens and others displays). Besides that, there is a great appeal to fluorescent lamps substitution, which have mandatory reverse logistics, due to its mercury content.

Project encompass characterization of LED lamps waste, pointing out possible metals to be recovered; pre-processing of waste, starting with dismantling; and hydrometallurgical processing of LEDs to recover metals. The aiming metal is yttrium, because it is a critical metal of rare earth elements group. However, separation is not restricted to yttrium, but also to recover metals, such as silver and copper, which can all represent savings for recycling, or the economic feasibility.