• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.242-250
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• 2010

In this research, the optimal manufacturing conditions of fine Si powders from Si scrap were investigated as a function of different initial powder size using the high-energy ball milling equipment, which produces the fine powder by means of an ultra high-energy within a short duration. The morphological change of the powders according to the milling time was observed by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With the increasing milling time, the size of Si powder was decreased. In addition, more energy and stress for milling were required with the decreasing initial powder size. The refinement of Si scrap was rapidly carried out at 10min ball milling time. However, the refined powder started to agglomerate at 30 min milling time, while the powder size became uniform at 60 min milling time.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.3-13
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• 2019

Aluminum is the most abundant metal and the second most plentiful metallic element in the earth's crust, after silicon. Aluminum is a light, conductive, and corrosion resistant metal with strong affinity for oxygen. However, the primary aluminum production process is highly energy intensive. The recycling of aluminum scrap reduces the energy consumption and environmental burden, comparing to the primary metal production. However, the amount of the recovered metal from scrap is limited because of the difficulties to remove the impurities in the scrap. This work provides an overview of the aluminum production and recycling process, from the preparation of alumina to the scrap upgrading and the melting process.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.435-440
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• 2015

It is a challenge from an industrial point of view to fabricate silicon nitride substrates with high thermal conductivity and good mechanical properties for power devices from high-purity Si scrap powder by means of thick film processes such as tape casting. We characterize the residual carbon and oxygen content after the binder burnout followed by nitridation as a function of the temperature in the temperature range of $300^{\circ}C-700^{\circ}C$ and the atmosphere in a green tape sample which consists of high-purity Si powder and polymer binders such as polyvinyl butyral and dioctyl phthalate. The optimum condition of binder burnout is suggested in terms of the binder removal temperature and atmosphere. If considering nitridation, the burnout of the organic binder in air compared to that in a nitrogen atmosphere could offer an advantage when fabricating reaction-bonded $Si_3N_4$ substrates for power devices to enable low carbon and oxygen contents in green tape samples.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.259-263
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• 2001

There are several steps such as slicing, lapping, chemical etching and mechanical polishing in the silicon wafer production process. The chemical etching step is necessary to remove damaged layer caused In the slicing and lapping steps. The typical etching liquor is the acid mixture comprising nitric acid, acetic acid and hydrofluoric acid. At present, the waste acid is treated by a neutralization method with a high alkali cost and balky solid residue. A solvent extraction method is applicable to separate and recover each acid. Acetic acid is first separated from the waste liquor using 2-ethlyhexyl alcohols as an extractant. Then, nitric acid is recovered using TBP(Tri-butyl phosphate) as an extractant. Finally hydrofluoric acid is separated with the TBP solvent extraction. The expected recovered acids in this process are 2㏖/l acetic acid, 6㏖/1 nitric acid and 6㏖/l hydrofluoric acid. The yields of this process are almost 100% for acetic acid and nitric acid. On the other hand, it is important to recover and reuse the metal values contained in various industrial wastes in a viewpoint of environmental preservation. Most of industrial products are made through the processes to separate impurities in raw materials, solid and liquid wastes being necessarily discharged as industrial wastes. Chemical methods such as solvent extraction, ion exchange and membrane, and physical methods such as heavy media separation, magnetic separation and electrostatic separation are considered as the methods for separation and recovery of the metal values from the wastes. Some examples of the application of solvent extraction to the treatment of wastes such as Ni-Co alloy scrap, Sm-Co alloy scrap, fly ash and flue dust, and liquid wastes such as plating solution, the rinse solution, etching solution and pickling solution are introduced.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.67-78
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• 2023

The rare metals used as raw materials in high-tech industries undergo changes in demand structures and supply chains following domestic industrial structural shifts and technological advancements, exhibiting high price volatility. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically analyze changes in the demand structures of rare metals. Since domestic demand for most rare metals relies on imports in Korea, the changes in domestic demand for rare metals can be identified by analyzing changes in their trade structure. In the present study, we analyze the changes in trade volume, trade growth rate, trade rankings, and trading countries from 2000 to 2022 for 35 rare metals, categorized into five types-ores, metals, alloys, compounds, and scrap. The trade of the raw materials of rare metals in Korea has generally increased since the 2000s, except for a significant decline in 2009 and 2016. The total trade volume, encompassing both exports and imports, has increased by approximately tenfold in 2022 compared to 2001. Until the mid-2010s, the trade of the raw materials of rare metals was primarily focused on those used in steel-manufacturing such as silicon, nickel, chrome, molybdenum, manganese, and others. However, after that period, there has been an increase in the trade of platinum group metals like palladium, rhodium, platinum, and the raw materials of rare metals for secondary battery-manufacturing such as lithium and cobalt. Particularly in 2022, lithium has become the largest share in trade of the raw materials of rare metals in Korea, due to the price surge and increase in demand.