| Course label : | Rare earths and metals recovery |
|---|---|
| Teaching departement : | CMA / |
| Teaching manager : | Madam FABIENNE SAMYN |
| Education language : | |
| Potential ects : | 0 |
| Results grid : | |
| Code and label (hp) : | ENSCL_CI_M9_A1_4_1 - Extract. mét. et terres rares |
Education team
Teachers : Madam FABIENNE SAMYN / Madam SOPHIE DUQUESNE / Mister BERTRAND MOREL
External contributors (business, research, secondary education): various temporary teachers
Summary
The use of metals has changed significantly in recent decades in terms of the quantity used and the complexity of objects. The exhaustion of primary materials and their carbon footprint are important drivers that are leading to the development of recycling. The course begins with several definitions: the concept of a strategic material, overall recycling rates and recycling rates at the end of life, material/environmental and carbon footprints, economic and regulatory criteria, collection aspects. Then the extraction processes for primary materials are reviewed (pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, hybrid processes). The application to secondary materials (at the end of life or primary scraps) is presented through several examples. Remelting is covered in a specific chapter, and aluminium is detailed according to the different alloys. The thermodynamics of the concept of slag are covered in depth. Recycling via pyrometallurgy is then discussed in detail, with copper and precious metals as the main examples. Lastly, recycling via hydrometallurgy and liquid extraction technologies are studied in detail, with rare earths and spent nuclear fuel used as examples. Many exercises are given throughout the course, such as phase equilibrium calculations.
Educational goals
On current subjects (critical metals and independence, the increasing scarcity of primary materials, the collection circuit, and regulations), the objective is to master the basics of recycling processes, going from the simplest (remelting) to the most complex (hydro).
Sustainable development goals
Knowledge control procedures
Continuous Assessment
Comments: Based on one or two case studies (a scientific publication), a one-hour exam on the process described.
Online resources
PowerPoint support materials are provided.
Pedagogy
It is recommended students read the course materials beforehand.
Sequencing / learning methods
| Number of hours - Lectures : | 6 |
|---|---|
| Number of hours - Tutorial : | 0 |
| Number of hours - Practical work : | 0 |
| Number of hours - Seminar : | 0 |
| Number of hours - Half-group seminar : | 0 |
| Number of student hours in TEA (Autonomous learning) : | 0 |
| Number of student hours in TNE (Non-supervised activities) : | 0 |
| Number of hours in CB (Fixed exams) : | 0 |
| Number of student hours in PER (Personal work) : | 0 |
| Number of hours - Projects : | 0 |
Prerequisites
Students will need to know the concepts of thermodynamics, wet chemistry and chemical engineering (as acquired in the first two years [1A and 2A]).