TY - JOUR
T1 - Review of rhenium extraction and recycling technologies from primary and secondary resources
AU - Shen, Leiting
AU - Tesfaye, Fiseha
AU - Li, Xiaobin
AU - Lindberg, Daniel
AU - Taskinen, Pekka
PY - 2021/1/15
Y1 - 2021/1/15
N2 - Rhenium is a scarce and highly important metal, which is widely used in high-temperature superalloys and platinum–rhenium catalysts due to its unique physicochemical properties. The substitution of rhenium in its applications is very limited, and there is no suitable substitute without losing essential performance. Furthermore, global extractable primary rhenium resources are predicted to deplete within 130 years. In this paper, rhenium extraction and recycling technologies from primary and secondary resources are critically classified and reviewed. Rhenium is primarily produced as a by-product in molybdenum, copper, lead and uranium production from the concentrates and ores. Rhenium is extracted from roasting fume and dust, leaching residue, and aqueous solution to produce a rhenium bearing solution. Subsequently, rhenium rich solution is generated by separation with solvent extraction, ion exchange, adsorption, membrane techniques or chemical precipitation. Finally, rhenium is produced via crystallization and reduction steps. Recycling rhenium from spent alloys and catalysts is a multi-step process combining pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques, where its separation and the subsequent steps are similar to that of extracting rhenium from primary resources. The main challenges in rhenium extraction and recycling are the enrichment of rhenium in the production and the collection and classification of spent rhenium scrap, to identify suitable processes to recover the rhenium with a high recovery. This paper contributes to better understanding the rhenium extraction and recycling processes and enhances sustainability of rhenium production.
AB - Rhenium is a scarce and highly important metal, which is widely used in high-temperature superalloys and platinum–rhenium catalysts due to its unique physicochemical properties. The substitution of rhenium in its applications is very limited, and there is no suitable substitute without losing essential performance. Furthermore, global extractable primary rhenium resources are predicted to deplete within 130 years. In this paper, rhenium extraction and recycling technologies from primary and secondary resources are critically classified and reviewed. Rhenium is primarily produced as a by-product in molybdenum, copper, lead and uranium production from the concentrates and ores. Rhenium is extracted from roasting fume and dust, leaching residue, and aqueous solution to produce a rhenium bearing solution. Subsequently, rhenium rich solution is generated by separation with solvent extraction, ion exchange, adsorption, membrane techniques or chemical precipitation. Finally, rhenium is produced via crystallization and reduction steps. Recycling rhenium from spent alloys and catalysts is a multi-step process combining pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical techniques, where its separation and the subsequent steps are similar to that of extracting rhenium from primary resources. The main challenges in rhenium extraction and recycling are the enrichment of rhenium in the production and the collection and classification of spent rhenium scrap, to identify suitable processes to recover the rhenium with a high recovery. This paper contributes to better understanding the rhenium extraction and recycling processes and enhances sustainability of rhenium production.
KW - Primary resource
KW - Spent alloys and catalysts
KW - Extraction technology
KW - Recycling
KW - Separation
UR - https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1cDtP3A~K2Yn3m
U2 - 10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106719
DO - 10.1016/j.mineng.2020.106719
M3 - Review Article or Literature Review
SN - 0892-6875
VL - 161
JO - Minerals Engineering
JF - Minerals Engineering
M1 - 106719
ER -