The Institute of Chemical Processes Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences deals with fundamental and applied research. This research also includes the field of hydrometallurgy of precious and special metals, which are essential for the production of various electromagnetic devices. Specifically, the research focuses on rare-earth elements – lanthanides, which are part of powerful electric motors, generators, speakers, batteries, and computers. The current mining methods of these elements are very environmentally demanding and the increase in their prices is rapid. Electrical waste recycling, therefore, offers a viable alternative to the mining of raw material. How to effectively deal with electrical waste is presented in the article Recycling of metals from electrical waste, which was recently published in the Czech popular science magazine Vesmír.
Raw electrical waste, pieces of electric motor stators from car power steering containing dysprosium. Photo: Olga Šolcová, ICPF CAS.