Refining and Utilization of Rare Earth Elements from Phosphors in Waste Fluorescent Lamp

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The separation and acidic leaching behaviors of phosphor sludge have been examined to establish the recycling system of rare earth components contained in fluorescent lamp waste. At first, separation characteristic of rare earth components and calcium phosphate in phosphor sludge was investigated by heavy media separation, hydro separation, pneumatic separation, gravity separation and flotation. Newly developed heavy media separation method showed highest separation efficiency, recovery and grade of rare earth phosphors and the pneumatic separation was the second result. After pneumatic separation of phosphor sludge, rare earth components were leached in various acidic solutions and sodium hydroxide solution. For recovery of soluble component in leaching solution, rare earth component was recovered by treatment processes such as hydroxide and oxalate precipitations. Yttrium and europium from phosphor sludge contained in fluorescent lamp waste were recovered effectively by three process … More es of pneumatic separation, sulfuric acid leaching and oxalate precipitation methods. Their recovery was finallv about 65%, and its purity was 98.2%. It was also found that separation and recovery of rare earth elements from the leaching solution by multistage countercurrent extraction were possible.Synthesis method and sintering conditions have been examined to establish the synthesizing Y_20_3 : Eu^<3+> from phosphor sludge in processing waste fluorescent lamp. Y_20_3 : Eu^<3+> were synthesized by 1.5 mol/l sulfuric acid leaching, subsequent treatment processes such as hydroxide and oxalate precipitations, freeze-dry, and sintering in optimum condltions ; sintering temperature is 1200℃, sintering time is 40 hours, with addition of 1% barium borate as the flux. Y_20_3 : Eu^<3+> powder synthesized from phosphor sludge, was obtained well crystal structure of above 0.2 μm crystal size, and with 50% particle size in the range of 5-6 μm. It was found that Y_20_3 : Eu^<3+> powder synthesized from phosphor sludge by this work could be used substantially as a red rare earth phosphor. Less