Recycling of Gallium from End-of-Life Light Emitting Diodes

Abstract

Nowadays Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are widely utilized. They are applied as backlighting in Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) and TV sets or as lighting equipments in homes, cars, instruments and street-lightning. End of life equipments are containing more and more LEDs. The recovery of valuable materials – such as Ga, Au, Cu etc. – from the LEDs is essential for the creating the circular economy. First task is the development of a proper recycling technology. Most of the researchers propose fully chemical or thermal-chemical pathway for the recycling of LEDs.

Keywords

• LED
• LED recycling
• LED chip
• gallium
• mechanical enrichment
• mechano-chemical activation
• leaching