Polish Science and Innovations for the Environment

Recovery of Valuable Yttrium and Europium Compounds from Waste Phosphors

Organisation details: Institute of Mechanised Construction & Rock Mining Address: 6/8, Racjonalizacji Street, 02-673 Warsaw, Poland Phone number: +48 22 843 02 01, Fax number: +48 22 843 59 81 e-mail: imb@imbigs.org.pl Website: www.imbigs.org.pl

Contact person data: Mrs. Elbieta Uzunow Phone number: +48 22 843 02 01 ext. 207, Fax number: +48 22 843 59 81 e-mail: e.uzunow@imbigs.org.pl

Primary environmental e ect of the technology/project/achievement: Recycling

Ecological e ect of the project/technology: Ecological e ects of CRT utilisation technology: the amount of hazardous wastes during the utilisation is decreased up to 0.2% the amount of wastes which are disposed on the dumps is reduced up to 35% all parts of CTR are reused /plastic, glass, metal/ yttrium and europium are recovered Special awards for the project/technology: 1. Patent Application number P 353981 2. Bronze Medal at International Warsaw Invention Show IWIS, May 2007 3. Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, March 2007 4. Gold medal of the 104th International Salon of Innovation Concours Lepine, May 2006, Paris 5. "Leader of Innovation" Title, September 2006, Katowice 6. Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, February 2006 7. Gold Medal at International Ecological Fair POLEKO, November 2006, Pozna 8. Gold Medal with mention of the 54th International Fairs of Inventiveness, Researches and New Technologies - BRUSSELS EUREKA, October 2005 9. The prize of the Minister of Environment and the Chairman of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management 10.3rd Prize of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and "Przegld Techniczny" Magazine, October 2003

Project/technology/solution/achievement description: A method for recycling valuable yttrium and europium compounds from waste phosphors has been developed. CRT manufacturers make use of di erent phosphor coatings, but all types contain both valuable yttrium and europium compounds and hazardous compounds. Waste phosphor dust - which is separated from CRT waste - is utilised rst by chemical stabilisation of dangerous compounds and then by melting. Afterwards, yttrium and europium compounds are selectively co-precipitated as oxalates. Such oxalates are used in new phosphor production. The liquids left over from the precipitation are reused in dissolving more waste phosphors. This method is cheap, safe and environmentally friendly. Waste phosphors have been disposed at land ll sites, thereby posing a danger to the environment. In the next few years it is planned to popularise this innovative method intensively, thereby promoting the recycling of yttrium and europium compounds. This method decreases contamination of the natural environment in as much as that it utilises a harmful substance from waste phosphors. Such technology is applied in the technological line of CRT utilisation, as developed by IMBiGS. Each year approximately 1,500,000 waste cathode ray tubes (CRTs) are disposed of in Poland. However, our Institute has developed a safe and non-thermal technological line by which waste cathode ray tubes can be dismantled, thereby enabling the recycling of two kinds of glass metal components and plastics, and yttrium and europium compounds, (hitherto these elements present in phosphors have not been recoverable). During the utilisation process, the glass screen and cone are separated by cutting, while the waste phosphors containing hazardous compounds are removed. Waste phosphor is transformed and stabilised chemically. The line assures safe phosphor removal from nearly 50,000 CRTs a year. The line and its technology have been in receipt of many prestigious prizes, both domestic and foreign.

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