SuSCheM: Environmentally Sustainable Pathways for Extracting Valuable Elements from Electronic Wastes

SuSCheM：从电子废物中提取有价值元素的环境可持续途径

基本信息

批准号：
1706905
负责人：
Ah-Hyung Park
金额：
$ 30万
依托单位：
Columbia University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2017-09-01 至 2021-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1706905&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
SuSCheM Environmentally Sustainable Pathways Extracting

项目摘要

1706905 (Park). E-waste (e.g., cell phones and PCs), which is the fastest growing waste segment in the United States, is emerging as a major environmental challenge in today's society. A novel approach to reclaim valuable components such as metals and chemicals from existing products and wastes, also known as urban mining, is essential for the sustainable treatment of e-waste. By recovering metals and chemicals from waste streams with integrated material looping cycles, a number of benefits can be accrued: environmental sustainability achieved via the reuse of metals and chemicals, reduced need for natural ores, reduced environmental contamination, and energy savings for metal extraction (10-15% less energy is needed for metal recovery from e-waste than ores), and reduced health hazards from direct disposal of those wastes. The integrated e-waste treatment scheme to be created by this project involves the systematic elemental mapping and characterization of e-wastes, chemically enhanced leaching of metals using innovative ligand systems and safer solvents, and tailored precipitation and electrowinning of metals. Finally, the overall environmental impact of the proposed technology will be investigated via a comprehensive life cycle analysis.The ultimate goal of the present three-year study is to establish an innovative, integrated, environmentally sustainable e-waste processing scheme that allows for the efficient treatment and recovery of metals and chemicals from e-waste. If successful, the proposed technology will significantly reduce the landfilling of e-wastes, the emissions from hazardous halogenated flame retardant plastics, and the need for toxic chemicals, while allowing for enhanced recovery of valuable materials from e-waste. The fundamental understanding obtained from this study will provide important insights into other material/waste recycle schemes involving complex chemistry and structures. As an integral part of the project, the team's educational and outreach activities are inseparably linked to the research plan. The four main goals in this effort include: to promote the international research and educational collaborations in the proposed research area; to motivate K-12 students, particularly female and minority students, to pursue a career in science and engineering; to provide academic research experience for both graduate and undergraduate students; and to enable the development of a new curriculum reflecting an increasing interest in green energy and environmental issues. To achieve these goals, the PIs have planned specific programs including: (a) K-12 outreach via a new kids' journal called Frontiers for Young Minds where kids from 8 to 15 will be engaged in scientific journal publication by serving as reviewers; and, (b) the development of MOOC Masters program on energy and material sustainability to be hosted at multi-institutions in USA, Europe, China and Korea.

1706905（公园）。电子废物（例如手机和个人电脑）是美国增长最快的废物部分，正在成为当今社会的主要环境挑战。一种从现有产品和废物中回收金属和化学品等有价值成分的新方法（也称为城市采矿）对于电子废物的可持续处理至关重要。通过利用集成的材料循环周期从废物流中回收金属和化学品，可以获得许多好处：通过金属和化学品的再利用实现环境可持续性、减少对天然矿石的需求、减少环境污染以及节省金属提取的能源（从电子废物中回收金属所需的能源比矿石少 10-15%，并且减少了直接处置这些废物对健康的危害。该项目将创建的综合电子废物处理方案涉及电子废物的系统元素图谱和表征、使用创新配体系统和更安全的溶剂对金属进行化学强化浸出，以及定制的金属沉淀和电解提取。最后，将通过全面的生命周期分析来调查所提出技术的整体环境影响。本次为期三年的研究的最终目标是建立一个创新的、综合的、环境可持续的电子废物处理方案，以实现高效的电子废物处理方案。从电子废物中处理和回收金属和化学品。如果成功，拟议的技术将显着减少电子废物的填埋、危险卤化阻燃塑料的排放以及对有毒化学品的需求，同时可以增强从电子废物中回收有价值的材料。从这项研究中获得的基本理解将为涉及复杂化学和结构的其他材料/废物回收方案提供重要的见解。作为项目的一个组成部分，团队的教育和推广活动与研究计划密不可分。这项工作的四个主要目标包括：促进拟议研究领域的国际研究和教育合作；激励 K-12 学生，特别是女生和少数族裔学生，从事科学和工程领域的职业；为研究生和本科生提供学术研究经验；并开发新课程，反映人们对绿色能源和环境问题日益增长的兴趣。为了实现这些目标，PI 规划了具体计划，包括： (a) 通过名为 Frontiers for Young Minds 的新儿童期刊进行 K-12 外展活动，8 至 15 岁的儿童将通过担任审稿人参与科学期刊出版； (b) 制定能源和材料可持续性慕课硕士课程，将在美国、欧洲、中国和韩国的多个机构举办。