Application and recycling of tantalum from waste electric and electronic equipment

The critical metal tantalum is of high importance to our society. It is widely applied in telecommunication infrastructure, consumer electronics, vehicles, medical equipment, etc. The sustainable supply of tantalum, however, is at risk, due to rising demand, limited potential for substitution and an uncertain mine production associated with social and environmental implications. Recycling can mitigate economic and environmental risks, but, despite numerous research efforts, recycling of tantalum from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is not realised at an industrial scale. This paper exhaustively reviews scientific literature related to tantalum and critically discusses tantalum recycling approaches. A process to recycle tantalum must convert real waste streams into a recycling product that can be utilised in existing refining or production processes. Losing valuable metals in the process jeopardises their economic and ecological feasibility. Considering these prerequisites and conclusions derived from a critical discussion of recycling approaches, we propose a holistic process for the recycling of tantalum that comprises all necessary steps to produce high-grade tantalum products from WEEE and that is integrated into existing recycling structures. With our paper, we hope to make a valuable contribution towards the realisation of tantalum recycling at an industrial scale.