Selective separation behavior and its molecular mechanism of cassiterite from quartz using cupferron as a novel flotation collector with a lower dosage of Pb2+ ions

The rapid e-waste volume is generating globally. At the same time, different recycling technologies, mainly the mechanical and chemical methods well studied, while the biological method is the most promising approach. Therefore, this article provides a comprehensive information about extracting valuable metals from e-waste. In addition, this article outlines the process and key opportunity for extraction of metals, identifies some of the most critical challenges for e-waste environmentally sound management practices, and opinions on possible solutions for exiting challenges, and emphasis on importance of advanced recycling technologies that can be utilized, in order to minimize the environmental impact causes due to improper recycling of e-waste.

Environmentally sound system for E-waste: Biotechnological perspectives

It has long been a global imperative to develop high‐energy‐density lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) to meet the ever‐growing electric vehicle market. One of the most effective strategies for boosting the energy density of LIBs is to increase the output voltage, which largely depends upon the cathode materials. As the most‐promising cathodes for high‐voltage LIBs (>4 V vs Li/Li+), four major categories of cathodes including lithium‐rich layered oxides, nickel‐rich layered oxides, spinel oxides, and high‐voltage polyanionic compounds still encounter severe challenges to realize the improvement of output voltage while maintaining high capacity, fast rate capability, and long service life. This review focuses on the key links in the development of high‐voltage cathode materials from the lab to industrialization. First, the failure mechanisms of the four kinds of materials are clarified, and the optimization strategies, particularly solutions that are easy for large‐scale production, are considered. Then, to bridge the gap between lab and industry, the cost management, safety assessment, practical battery‐performance evaluation, and sustainability of the battery technologies, are discussed. Finally, tough challenges and promising strategies for the commercialization of high‐voltage cathode materials are summarized to promote the large‐scale application of LIBs with high energy densities.

Building Practical High‐Voltage Cathode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A novel surfactant 2-(benzylthio)-acetohydroxamic acid: Synthesis, flotation performance and adsorption mechanism to cassiterite, calcite and quartz

The Chinese economy is in a critical period of continuous transformation of new and old kinetic energy and economic transformation and upgrading. Copper, the second largest strategic raw material, is still central to China’s economic development. As the major producer and consumer of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), China’s production and consumption of refined copper is the largest in the world. Thus, it is necessary to forecast the supply and demand of China’s future copper. There is a huge gap between copper production and consumption in China, the current identified copper resources cannot meet copper consumption in the next five years, thus the import of copper will be more crucial for China’s future copper industry. Due to trade frictions, restriction on imports and other reasons, the import of copper from other countries will exist a lot of uncertainties. Hence, the domestic copper waste and scraps could be the suitable secondary resource for recycling copper in China. According to the grade and value of copper scraps, establishing quality standards and optimizing the disassembly process of the domestic Cu-bearing waste & scraps, and using the suitable method are the key to recycling the domestic copper scraps.

Yuping Zhang

Papers

An overview of global power lithium-ion batteries and associated critical metal recycling

Measuring the sustainability of tin in China.