Handbook of Recycling

Chapter 18

Recovery of Metals from Different Secondary Resources (Waste)

Stefan Luidold,  and Helmut Antrekowitsch     Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Leoben, Austria

Abstract

Raw materials are very essential for the economy and subsequently for the modern society. They are required for industrial activities as well as for infrastructure and products used in everyday life. The importance of oil, gas, and coal has often been mentioned since the oil crises in the 1970s that lead to sharp price increases. However, the importance of nonenergy materials, such as minerals and metals, was neglected in the western industrialized world due to a long period of stable and low raw material costs. This leads to a considerable concentration ...