Study of the recuperation of indium from obsolete LCD screens using solvent extraction

• Grant number: 23/12938-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 20, 2023
• End date: February 28, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa
• Grantee: Carolina Maekawa Chaves
• Supervisor: Martina Petranikova
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/16504-7 - Study of the recovery of indium from residue using solvent extraction, BP.IC

Abstract

Indium is a valuable metal for the electronic industry mainly used as ITO (indium tin oxide), which is a semiconductor fundamental for LCD screens manufacturing. Since it is a byproduct of zinc and lead mining, its primary source is insufficient to meet the growing demand for the metal. A strategy to recover indium from secondary sources, such as urban residues, is by using a hydrometallurgical route. This project involves the study of the recuperation of indium from LCD screens of obsolete computer monitors using solvent extraction to purify the liquor obtained through leaching using sulfuric acid. The main studied parameters are the extractant, the diluents and the acid concentration of the aqueous phase, which will be evaluated for indium selectivity.