Nonferrous metal resource recycling refers to the process of recovering metals from various secondary materials, preparing high-value products,and realizing efficient use of resources. It is the frontier and development direction of nonferrous metal metallurgy and an effective way to solve resource-energy-environmental constraints and promote the sustainable development of the nonferrous industry.
The objects of nonferrous metal resource recycling include various secondary resources containing nonferrous metals, such as‘urban mines' like electronic waste and spent batteries, various waste residues from the process of beneficiation and smelting, and intermediate waste from industrial production, waste catalysts, etc. Because of its large output and high metal content, it has crucial recycling value. However, unlike primary mineral resources, nonferrous metal secondary resources have the characteristics of diverse sources and high composition complexity, which determines that conventional metallurgical separation and extraction methods are difficult to adapt to the processing of such materials. Therefore, in view of its particularity, it is necessary to carry out innovative research on the entire chain of secondary resource recycling from basic theory to applied technology, establish efficient and clean separation and extraction theories and methods, and achieve efficient recycling of resources.