Extraction of Yttrium from Waste - Analysis of Hydrometallurgical Processing by Organic Acids and Life Cycle Assessment

Sep 29, 2026

The study addresses rising demand for rare earth elements by developing an efficient, sustainable route to recover yttrium (Y) from obsolete fluorescent lamps. Organic acids—C6H8O7, C2H4O2, and C2H5NO2—are compared with the inorganic acid HNO3 for leaching, followed by selective precipitation using C2H2O4. Leaching is evaluated at different acid concentrations, and life cycle assessment (LCA) quantifies environmental hotspots. Results show high Y recovery with select acids and precipitation, while organic-acid leaching can carry higher impacts linked to production and disposal.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background on yttrium and applications

Motivation: depletion of primary reserves and e-waste generation

Recycling via urban mining and need for greener processes

Study aim and leaching approach

This article is licensed under CC-BY 4.0 [http://pubs.acs.org/journal/acsodf](http://pubs.acs.org/journal/acsodf) Article Extraction of Yttrium from Waste: Analysis of Hydrometallurgical Processing by Organic Acids and Life Cycle Assessment Luan Matheus da Silva Alvarenga, Mentore Vaccari, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa, and Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior* Cite This: ACS Omega 2025, 10, 58072−58083 Read Online | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ACCESS | Metrics & More | | Article Recommendations | | *sı Supporting Information | ABSTRACT: The increasing demand for rare earth elements has driven the search for efficient and sustainable recovery methods. Obsolete fluorescent lamps represent a significant secondary source of Y that can greatly contribute to the circular economy and the preservation of natural resources. With the gradual depletion of primary Y reserves and the rise in e-waste generation, the development of eco-friendly and economically feasible recovery techniques has become crucial. Additionally, strict legislation regarding the disposal of e-waste strengthens the need to improve recycling processes. This study aims to investigate the leaching of Y from obsolete fluorescent lamps by organic (C6H8O7, C2H4O2, and C2H5NO2) and inorganic acids (HNO3). We also seek to assess the environmental impact of this process through life cycle assessment (LCA). Leaching steps were performed with different acid concentrations, followed by selective precipitation with C2H2O4 for Y recovery. LCA was applied to evaluate the environmental impacts and identify critical points in the process. A high Y recovery rate (78.8% for C2H5NO2, 86.7% for C6H8O7, 100% for C2H4O2, and 95% for HNO3) was obtained with precipitation (C2H5NO2 and C6H8O7 liquor). Our environmental assessment revealed that leaching with organic acids presents a higher environmental impact due to production and disposal methods. The study demonstrated that it is possible to leach Y efficiently from fluorescent lamps using organic acids. The process may be a feasible alternative for large-scale Y recovery, improving organic acid production, and contributing to the sustainable recycling of e-waste and promoting the circular economy. 1. INTRODUCTION Yttrium (Y) is a rare earth element with vast technological applications, particularly in the production of phosphors for electronic display screens.1,2 It is also widely used in lasers, superconductors, and high-performance ceramic materials.3 These technologies are important for the green energy transition, as fluorescent lamps and LEDs.4−6 Its production is performed from primary sources by mining, while therecycling rate from wastes (mainly e-waste) is low (3%).3,4 Production of this equipment tends to increase in the next years, raising also the production of Y and other rare earth elements.3,7 China is the main producer of rare earth elements (including Y), leading with 95% of worldwide production.3,4 As current practices have a large negative impact on the environment,6 we need to investigate and propose new technologies for the extraction of these elements. The advantage of recycling is beyond the promotion of the circular economy, but meets the aims of urban mining8 and sustainable mining.9 Instead of extracting rare earth elements from mining only, urban mining transforms urban solid waste (as e-wastes) into a source of these elements and can be produced in any country/region where this waste is generated. It reduces dependence on the mining of specific natural resources.3 It is urgent to transform chemical processes into greener and economically feasible ones, and to achieve this goal, we aimed in this study to propose organic acids to obtain Y by hydrometallurgical process recycling. Literature reports the use of inorganic acids, such as H2SO4, HNO3, and HCl, which are produced from nonsustainable sources.10 Organic acids have come as a potential alternative for

FAQs

What waste source and recovery target does the study focus on?

The study focuses on recovering yttrium (Y) from obsolete fluorescent lamps, treating them as a secondary source for circular-economy recycling.

Which acids are evaluated for leaching yttrium, and how is recovery achieved?

Y is leached using organic acids (C6H8O7, C2H4O2, C2H5NO2) and the inorganic acid (HNO3), then recovered via selective precipitation using C2H2O4.

What role does life cycle assessment (LCA) play in the research?

LCA quantifies environmental impacts of the recycling route, identifying critical hotspots by considering organic-acid production steps, leaching, and purification.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Callum