Vacuum pyrolysis characteristics and parameter optimization of recycling organic materials from waste tantalum capacitors

Recycling rare metal tantalum from waste tantalum capacitors (WTCs) is significant to alleviate the shortage of tantalum resource. However, environmental problems will be caused if the organic materials from WTCs are improperly disposed. This study presented a promising vacuum pyrolysis technology to recycle the organic materials from WTCs. The organics removal rate could reach 94.32 wt% according to TG results. The optimal parameters were determined as 425 °C, 50 Pa and 30 min on the basis of response surface methodology (RSM). The oil yield and residual rate was 18.09 wt% and 74.94 wt%, respectively. All pyrolysis products can be recycled through a reasonable route. Besides, to deeply understand the pyrolysis process, the pyrolysis mechanism was also proposed based on the product and free radical theory. This paper provides an efficient process for recycling the organic material from WTCs, which can facilitate the following tantalum recovery.