Recovery of Barium, Nickel, and Titanium Powders from Waste MLCC

The development of the electronics industry has led to an increased demand for the manufacture of MLCC (Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors), which in turn is expected to result in a rise in MLCC waste. The MLCC contains various metals, notably barium, titanium, and nickel, whose disposal is anticipated to increase correspondingly. Recently, recycling technologies for electronic waste have garnered attention as they address waste management and raw material supply challenges. This paper investigates the recovery of barium, nickel, and titanium from the MLCC by a hydrometallurgical process. Using citric acid, which is an organic acid, the metal inside the MLCC was leached. Additionally, metal materials were recovered through precipitation and complexing processes. As a result, barium and titanium were recovered from the leachate of the waste MLCC, and 93% of the nickel-based powder was recovered. Furthermore, the optimal recovery process conditions for recycling these metal elements were investigated.