Recent advances in the approaches to recover rare earths and precious metals from E-waste: A mini-review

In the present day, with the rapid rate of advancements in technology, gadgets become obsolete very fast. The chase to keep up with the latest technologies diminishes the gadget's lifespan considerably. Consequently, they are discarded within a short time after their production, resulting in electronic waste (E-waste) being the fastest growing waste stream globally, with an annual production rate of 2.44 million short tonnes. The metals present in such E-waste provide several attractive properties, rendering them crucial in several applications as components of electronic and electrical devices. The major roadblock faced by mankind today is an effective technology with high recovery, low cost, and minimal environmental impact to recycle such electronic waste. In this mini-review, we elucidate the various recycling routes for metal extraction from waste and recent advances in the same. We have attempted to highlight the recent trends adopted by various researchers to recycle and extract valuable metals and rare earths from E-waste. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the extraction of rare earths and precious metals for E-waste research have been clearly brought out and suggestions have been made for future work.

Automated summary

With the rapid development of technology, electronic devices are becoming obsolete quickly, resulting in a growing amount of electronic waste. Recycling and extracting metals from this waste pose a significant challenge, as an effective technology is needed to achieve high recovery rates, low cost, and minimal environmental impact. This mini-review highlights the various recycling routes and recent advances in metal extraction from electronic waste, with a focus on valuable metals and rare earth elements. Furthermore, the challenges and prospects in the field are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.