(292e) Techno-Economic Analysis of Critical Materials Recycling from Computer Hard Drives

A sound approach for a techno-economic analysis of critical materials recycling from computer hard drives involves assessing both the technical feasibility and economic viability of extracting valuable materials from computer hard drives.

Currently we are performing critical materials recovery from 3,000 lbs of crushed computer hard drives. This paper provides the details of the results, including a thorough analysis of the material composition of computer hard drives, the critical materials present, such as rare earth elements (REEs), precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), and other valuable metals like copper and aluminum.

Various recycling technologies are evaluated suitable for extracting critical materials from hard drives. This includes mechanical shredding, magnetic separation, hydrometallurgical processes, and pyrometallurgical processes. The efficiency, scalability, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness of each recycling technology are evaluated.

The capital investment required to set up a recycling facility, including equipment costs, facility construction, and operational expenses is estimated.

A detailed cost analysis for each step of the recycling process, including collection, dismantling, material extraction, purification, and refining is also provided.

This project was supported by DOE SBIR Phase 2 Project Contract Number DE-SC0021544.