The global precious metals e-waste recovery market size is predicted to be valued at $18,645.2 million by 2030, surging from $9,434.5 million in 2021, at a noteworthy CAGR of 7.0%.

Global Precious Metals E-waste Recovery Market Analysis

Increasing expansion of the IT and communication sectors, particularly in countries such as India and China, is a significant driver of market growth in the forecast period. This increase is mostly related to an increase in electronic consumption, which is driving the advancement of new electronic devices and influencing the disposal of obsolete electronics. This immediately increases global e-waste creation while also boosting demand for e-waste recycling to address environmental issues such as soil contamination. Such factors are expected to drive market expansion over the analyzed period. Furthermore, major market competitors are always focused on initiatives to raise consumer awareness regarding e-waste recycling.

However, several factors impact precious metal prices, including inflation, currency changes, government reserves, and geopolitical uncertainty. Due to such price fluctuations, demand and supply for certain metals are adversely impacted, affecting industrial production operations. Furthermore, mining for precious minerals is a laborious operation requiring big investments in gear and lengthy working hours, and production unpredictability is expected to stymie expansion. Furthermore, ineffective polishing to maintain the sheen and color of these metals will impede the market.

For recovery precious metal from e-waste materials, vat leaching is commonly used, in which crushed e-waste is combined with a sodium cyanide solution in enormous tanks. As cyanide leaching is so efficient, it enables for the lucrative recovery of valuable metals. Cyanide, on the other hand, is a very poisonous chemical that can have serious environmental and public health consequences. Cyanide spills have contaminated drinking water sources, destroyed agricultural fields, and resulted in fatalities. Although cyanide aqueous solutions breakdown quickly in sunlight, less hazardous compounds such as cyanates and thiocyanates may linger in the soil for several years. Cyanide leaks into groundwater can remain for longer periods of time and affect drinking water aquifers.

Global Precious Metals E-waste Recovery Market Share, Segmentation

The global metals e-waste recovery market share is segmented based on metal type, source, and region.

Metal Type:

The metal type segment is further classified into gold, copper, silver, and others. Among these, the copper sub-segment is anticipated to have a fastest market share and surpass $4,003.7 million by 2030, with an increase from $1,912.8 million in 2021. It is mostly due to urbanization, huge population, and rising disposable income that will provide attractive opportunities for electronic household appliances in the approaching years. Electrical and electromechanical devices are domestic gadgets that aid in homemaking and household duties such as cooking, food preservation, and cleaning.

Source:

The source segment is further classified into home appliances, consumer electronics, IT & telecommunication equipment, and others. Among these, the consumer electronics sub-segment is anticipated to have a dominant market share and surpass $7,827.6 million by 2030, with an increase from $3,814.6 million in 2021. As the amount of consumer electronic has grown over the last decade as a result of revolutionary developments in the electric and electronic industries, burning and recycling of these materials have gained popularity.

Region:

The precious metals e-waste recovery market in the Europe region is projected to show the fastest growth. This region’s market generated a revenue of $2,376.6 million in 2021 and is projected to reach up to $4,948.4 million by 2030. The region’s demand for precious metals e-waste recovery was driven by factors that led to the market growth due to rising demand for consumer electronic items and increasing demand from automotive and electronics companies. European Union legal framework and certification scheme, along with wide financial measures, will promote the investments needed to make recycling essential raw materials more commercially feasible and reduce Europe’s reliance on external supply sources.

Key Players in the Global Precious Metals E-waste Recovery Market

Some of the leading e-waste recovery market players are

1. Johnson Matthey
2. Umicore
3. Materion Corporation
4. Boliden Group
5. Sims Lifecycle Services, Inc.
6. TANAKA Holdings Co., Ltd.
7. Metallix
8. TES
9. Heraeus Holding
10. Enviroleach Technologies Inc.

Source: https://www.researchdive.com/8365/precious-metal-e-waste-recovery-market

Abstract

Filtration and separation are indispensable processes not only in the production of chemicals, but in all areas of the process industry. This is because mechanical separation processes are not only used for the production of pure chemicals. They can also improve process safety and increase material efficiency. The latest developments in separation technology will be showcased again by international exhibitors and lectures at FILTECH in February 2023. As the most important platform for filtration and separation of all types of media, the event invites visitors to Germany for a combination of trade fair and congress.

All over the world, the chemical industry is characterized by the quest for safe processes and high-quality products. The bar is being raised ever higher, because not only limit values, standards, and laws, but also customer requirements are becoming stricter. And finally, measurement methods for detecting undesirable components are also becoming increasingly better.

Expertise in filtration and separation

FILTECH therefore provides both technical know-how and industry-related expertise: The world’s most important platform for the filtration and separation of all types of media will take place again next year. From February 14 to 16, 2023, visitors to the exhibition center in Cologne (Germany) will get answers to all questions about the filtration and separation of all kinds of media.

Due to the dynamic development of the Corona pandemic, the long-standing successful combination of trade show and congress has already expanded its website at the beginning of 2021 to include a detailed information area that presents solutions online to interested parties for their challenges in filtration. In March 2022, however, the organizer, numerous exhibitors, speakers, and 14,750 visitors already demonstrated that it is once again possible to safely hold focused trade shows.

Safe primary processes, efficient secondary processes

At the same time, the range of exhibitors and participants in the conference section proves the cross-sectional nature of the topic: Filter technology is the key to efficiency and safety not only in the primary processes of chemistry and life sciences, pharmaceutical production, and the food and beverage industry, but also in secondary areas. Thus, visitors to FILTECH will also receive information about materials and consumables that are essential for the operation of filtration systems.

Finally, the FILTECH topic of ventilation and air purification technology is also highly relevant, because clean air can be an effective measure for reducing the risk of infection by aerosol-borne viruses in all areas of companies. The event brings together numerous suppliers of ventilation and filtration technology who support plant operators with efficient solutions for production and all other operational areas.

Focus on India in exhibitors and lectures

Visitors from India will also have the opportunity to network with companies from their home country at FILTECH: According to the current status, the organizer reports 16 exhibitors from India. Among them is a2z Filtration Specialities, a company that continues to develop new products for the filtration market as a supplier of special purpose filter manufacturing and testing equipment.These include among others completely automated HEPA mini pleat lines, which come with the option of rotary orblade pleaters and foamed or solid hot melt glue, including converting rolls of Glass fiber and synthetic media into mini pleat packs, automatically cut to the required size or pleat count, then conveyed to an intelligent servo filter framing system.

Other representatives from India include nonwoven manufacturers such as AIM Nonwovens and Interiors, PARK INDUSTRIES, WELSPUN GLOBAL and AUTOTECH Nonwovens. Suppliers of woven filter fabrics will also be exhibiting: for example, Arvind, SHRINATH ADHESIVE PRODUCTS and KHOSLA PROFIL, which also offer needle felts and sewing threads. SACHIN INDUSTRIES, a leading manufacturers of filter plates, filter presses and membrane filter presses, will be present.

HYDRO PRESS INDUSTRIES produces high performance filter presses that can increase production capacity and significantly reduce wax cake moisture. Eco Green Clean tech, KALIMATI CARBON and ECO FRESH CARBON offer activated carbon, which serves for special filtration applications where the purity of the filtrate plays a special role.

From clean drinking water and ultra-filtration to filtering exhaust gases from diesel vehicles and auto rickshaws, several presentations in the FILTECH congress area also provide insights into scientific and technical developments by Indian institutes and companies. Contributions will come from representatives of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the PSG College of Technology and companies such as Technorbital Advanced Materials and Varroc Polymers.

Whether air purification or filtration processes in chemical production: The fact that the demand for new products and services remains high is also demonstrated by the large number of exhibitors. As things stand, the organizer is already expecting over 440 companies at FILTECH 2023 – more than ever before.

Personal exchange at the heart of the congress

Especially on the congress area of FILTECH visitors traditionally have the opportunity not only to experience current products and services live but also to find out about trends in research and development in the congress area. The FILTECH Scientific Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Harald Anlauf (KIT) and Prof. Eberhard Schmidt (Bergische Universität Wuppertal), guarantees the high quality of all presentations: Experts from international universities, research institutions and companies review the submitted contribution proposals and compile a program that guarantees valuable information from all areas of the industry. The organizer expects more than 200 presentations at FILTECH 2023.

The congress at the event is divided into units covering all relevant topics. Seven thematic areas will be in focus:

• Solid-liquid separation
• Solid-Gas Separation
• Filter media
• Testing, instrumentation, and control
• Simulation and modeling
• product related processes
• Membrane processes

In addition, the congress at FILTECH 2023 will be dedicated to current industry trends such as selective separation, micro process technology, and nanofluidics, mist and droplet separation as well as biological exhaust gas cleaning with biofilters. On February 13, 2023, already one day before the opening of the exhibition area, two focused one-day courses will be held, which will also specifically address engineers, scientists, managers, and other technical personnel who need applied knowledge on topics related to solid-liquid separation and fine particle separation.

Filtration processes for quality and reliability

In production, what counts above all is the quality, safety, and efficiency of the processes. But the safety of employees, the environment, and equipment must also be guaranteed at all times. Filter solutions specifically designed for the harsh environments of processing support operators in all these challenges. They increase the service life of the plant and equipment, ensuring high performance.

At FILTECH, processing companies will find the right products and services for this purpose and can exchange information with experts on current trends. For successful planning of the visit, interested parties can find a list of exhibitors, an overview of focus topics and industries as well as the extensive conference program at filtech.de.

FILTECH 2023 – the facts

• Venue: Cologne Exhibition Center (Germany), Halls 7 and 8
• Event date: Tuesday, February14 to Thursday, February 16, 2023
• Exhibition frequency: every 1.5 years
• Opening hours:
  February 14: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  February 15: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  February 16: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Further information: filtech.de

FILTECH 2023:

Expert knowledge and personal exchange: at FILTECH, visitors can find out about the latest trends in research and development and experience a wide range of products and services.

Source: FILTECH Exhibitions Germany

Government of India has hiked the domestic natural gas price by 40 percent to $8.57 per mBtu on gross calorific value for the second half of FY23, beginning October 1, compared to the April -September 2022 period. The gas price ceiling for extracting the key commodity from challenging fields – deep water, ultra-deep water and high pressure-high temperature fields – has also been revised upwards by around 25 per cent to $12.46 per million British thermal units (mBtu).

This is the highest price for procuring natural gas in the country, since the Government of India introduced the New Domestic Gas Pricing Guidelines in November 2014. The previous high in gas price was recorded in the first half of the current fiscal year at $6.10 per mBtu. Before this, the highest price was reported for the November 2014-March 2015 period at $5.05 per mBTU.

Similarly, the highest ceiling price for gas from challenging fields was during H1 FY23 at $9.92 per mBtu. Prior to H1 and H2 FY23, the highest price reported was during the April 2019-September 2019 period at $9.32 per mBtu. India meets half its natural gas requirement through domestic production, while the other half is imported as liquified natural gas (LNG).

Price Trends

Price of imported liquefied natural gas are always raised largely in tune with the increase in international price. However, Government of India seems to be increasing the price of domestic natural gas also in tune with the international price trend.  This certainly is not in order. The government’s move to increase the price of domestic gas is unwise, as it will result in cost push inflation and consequently several undesirable developments with regard to the national economy.

To protect the economics of   a few oil exploration companies, the government is upsetting the economics of hundreds of industrial, commercial and service oriented organizations in the country by steeply hiking the domestic natural gas price. Natural gas is an essential feedstock and fuel and around 50 percent of Indian requirement of natural gas is met by domestic production.  With the increase in the price of natural gas, the cost of production of goods and services will increase proportionately, that will lead to increase in the market price of derivative products. In effect, this would amount to transferring the cost burden to the common man.

Consequently, the cost index in the country will go up that will lead to demand for higher salaries and wages both in the organised and unorganised sector.  Inevitably, the expenses of the organisations and that of the government will go up significantly and this will be a vicious cycle. While increasing the price of essential inputs like natural gas should be the last option, it appears to have become the first option for the government.

Alternate Options

Obviously, the government has chosen the easy option of increasing the price of natural gas, without carefully examining the alternate options for holding the price of natural gas at the present level. One is not sure whether the government has carefully carried out cost auditing with regard to the performance of the oil exploration companies in India. If it has done, it should have publicized the results of the auditing in a transparent manner, so that the people will be able to judge the price increase decision of the government.

The feasibility of subsidising the domestic natural gas price to the extent necessary to ensure price stability in the domestic market, ought to have been carefully and judiciously examined.  In the last several months, it is known that many petrochemical companies in India, both in the public and private sector have been turning out good performance and making good profit. The feasibility of raising the tax level on the profit made by petrochemical companies to subsidise the natural gas price, should have been considered as one option.

In any case, price increase of natural gas at periodical intervals seems to have become a habit for the government. When the feasibility of reducing the price of natural gas due to any international development is there, the government just ignores it.

Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) certification should be made mandatory for isopropyl alcohols (IPA) used in pharma applications by the Union Government, as usage of imported IPA is fraught with risks. Indian IPA manufacturers allege that cheap imported IPA, fails to meet various critical parameters covered in Pharmacopeia Standards such as UV absorbance test, identification of unsaturated hydrocarbons and rapidly carbonizable material. Use of such sub-standard non-pharma grade IPA adversely affects the quality of the drug exposing millions of Indian consumers to severe health hazards. It also jeopardises the reputation of the country’s pharma industry.

IPA, commonly called isopropanol, is a colourless, flammable liquid with a strong odour. It is used in the manufacture of a wide variety of industrial and household chemicals and finds major applications in the production of bulk drugs and drug formulations which are vital in the pharma manufacturing process. It is also used as a common ingredient in products such as hand sanitizers, antiseptics and disinfectants. Indian pharmaceutical sector consumes roughly 170,000 MT of the overall India IPA demand of around 240,000 MT in FY21. Of the 170,000 MT of IPA consumed by the pharma Industry, only about 12 % is pharma grade, meeting Indian and other Pharmacopeia Standards. The rest is non-pharma grade.

Fear of Contamination

Incidentally, solvents such as IPA, Toluene, Acetone, and others are imported in bulk and stored in a co-mingled fashion in shore tanks located at Kandla, Vizag, and other ports. These solvents get contaminated at the various handling stages starting from loading at the port to getting delivered to end-users. The contamination, industry players claim, either comes from tank cars or dissolutions of lacquers from the inside coating of metal vessels.

As a result, imported IPA stored in co-mingled tanks at Indian ports do not meet the pharmacopoeia standards. If used to produce medicines, they contaminate the drug, change its quality and deteriorates during shelf life. Therefore, imported excipients, especially solvents, must be carefully examined by regulators for traces of contamination. Traceability of source which is one of the important parameters carefully pursued by the pharma industry is completely missing when it comes to co-mingled storage of solvents

Section 16 of the second schedule of The Drugs and Cosmetics Act mandates IP specifications for pharma application. IP standards strengthened by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) and FDA authorities of states like Goa, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have directed drug manufacturers to use only pharma grade IPA.Despite these regulatory specifications, the ground reality is different. The Indian pharma industry is using IPA that does not fulfil pharmacopoeia criteria which is dangerous and hazardous to health.

Quality Par Excellence

It may be noted that nations including the US, Europe and China demand that IPA used in the drug manufacturing process meet their individual pharmacopoeia criteria for medications exported to these countries. China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) too has exhibited concern about the quality of drugs entering Chinese soil by imposing stringent regulations not only on the final products but also on all ingredients including excipients. Indian pharmaceutical companies like Aurobindo Pharma, Alembic Pharma, Cipla and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories planning to tap the large Chinese market will have to get all ingredients, needed for the production of drugs and related ingredients such as APIs, intermediates and excipients, approved by CFDA compulsorily.

Indian government is yet to impose stiff rules to curb the use of imported excipients and solvents including IPA by the pharma industry.The recent embarrassing incident in Gambia due to contaminated cough syrup, originating from a Indian Company, highlights how contaminated raw materials are being used by the pharma industry, severely compromising the quality of drugs and risking the lives of millions not only in India, but globally too.

This incident has also tarnished India’s reputation as a pharmacy to the world. In this particular case, WHO has already issued global alerts against the Indian company. In response, various FDA authorities such as Maharashtra and Karnataka have also issued circulars stating that all pharma manufacturers need to procure solvents complying to pharmacopeial standards directly from manufacturers. While actions are now warranted, a proactive approach would have prevented such an incident. Isopropyl alcohol is a key solvent for multiple drugs that carries a similar risk of contamination and health hazard, hence requiring urgent attention. Keeping in mind the health of Indian consumers as well as the stature of the Indian pharma industry, it is critical to mandate the use of IPA with Indian Pharmacopeia (IP) certification in pharma.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a nearly 50 percent increase in world energy use by 2050, led by growth in renewables. Similarly, the demand for electricity will increase 75 percent to 100 percent within the same time-period, driven by the shift in mobility to electric vehicles, and industrial electrification. Most of the projected increase in demand will be met by renewable energy. As most renewable power options, such as solar and wind, will be generated away from population centers, larger capacity, and more resilient transmission systems will be key. While distribution systems need to grow and be more dynamic, cybersecurity remains a concern.

The game changer lies with digital technology, which is mission-critical for electrification, as the shift from fossil-based systems to electric will drive change within the existing power infrastructure and beyond, with new microgrids, and self-generation at industrial sites. Digital solutions used in power management will manage the complex power requirements, facilitate cybersecurity, integrate advanced analytics and AI to automate reliability, and flexibly enable distributed, loosely coupled microgrids.

Mitigating GrowingEnergy Demand and Emissions

According to McKinsey, the top three generators of greenhouse gas (CO₂ and methane)emissions in 2019 were from power generation (30%); industry (20%); mobility (19%) – mostly from the burning of fossil fuels for energy. This January 2022 report titled “The net-zero transition: what it would cost, what it could bring” focuses on opportunity for power generators and industry to invest preferentially in renewable, low-carbon energy sources, and electrify industrial processes. As such, the electrification of heavy industry to meet the decarbonization imperative is driving 50% more growth in electricity, than from mobility alone.

To mitigate growing global energy demand, energy efficiency is key. Digital technologies will be instrumental in achieving 10% – 20% increase in energy efficiency. In support of net-zero targets, capital-intensive industries are focused on electrifying energy production and process heat, while ensuring that electrical generation aligns with their own sustainability initiatives.

At the same time, carbon trading, and carbon tax emissions-cutting policies are increasingly crucial in providing access to the right levels of capital for decarbonization investment in the most challenged economic zones and industry sectors. Investments in renewables and intelligent grids, go together with carbon trading. Digital solutions supporting distributed generation sources and grids are crucial for tracing carbon emissions from renewable source to industrial end use – and onward, complementary
mass-balance solutions enable calculation and tracking the carbon intensity of finished products produced via renewable energy.

Fossil fuels will continue to be a significant source of global energy through 2050. However, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) will play an increasingly important role. To move beyond what CCUS can achieve, electrification has a key role in reducing carbon emissions.This is especially so, with new investments, almost exclusively in low-carbon electricity sources, and the retrofitting and replacement of older CO2 emitting utilities and processesin energy-intensive plants, which includes refining units, bulk chemicals, metals, such as aluminium. This shift in investment will drive a new generation of digital solutions to support the growing appetite for electrification.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

With distributed power resources, grids will need to accommodate rapidly expanding and evolving distributed power production, storage and consumption models. New digital software will need to rapidly keep pace with the innovation of the power generation system.

Power grids will need to expand steadily beyond their current capacity and change their structure to eliminate single points of failure and to accommodate the dynamic nature of distributed renewables. Traditional grids are expensive to upgrade and digital solutions commonly used for transmission and distribution management are insufficient. The underlying solutions must be structured to accommodate increasing adoption of AI-driven solutions to further optimize and protect electrical networks.

With the increasing complexity of distribution systems, reliability and outage prevention becomes more challenging to manage with traditional approaches. Digital technology based on advanced data analytics and AI will become essential to assist operators in responding quickly and effectively to situations across a diverse system. To succeed, digital management systems will need to provide granular and easily visualizable views of the customer distribution network.

It is necessary to monetise distributed power, as advances in digital software provide this visibility, enabling distribution companies to monetise operations, optimization, maintenance and pricing of distributed power and storage. As vehicle batteries increase their capacity and capabilities, the mobility network can be monetized as a storage element of the connected grid.

Cybersecurity needs need to be met. Software providers like OSI have proven track records in meeting standards, reacting rapidly and updating systems for electric utility providers. Microgrids have emerged as a key investment area to fill the regional void, while meeting demand and increasing reliability and security required by large power consumers, communities and localities. The right digital solution enables efficient, optimized development of microgrids, integrated with regional grids and developed in a more cohesive, intelligent way. This approach proactive innovation and adoption in new power generation connected storage,while ensuring reliable supply. In addition to battery storage, innovations, such as commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell storage, can be integrated easily.

Distributed power generation in industrial facilities is another important electrification opportunity. Cogeneration optimises the usage of waste heat during power generation for supplemental process heat. Using the same adaptive process control and digital twin technologies applied to process equipment, an optimised amount of electricity is produced and predictively available. Digital software technologies are key in this area to make cogeneration practically available to a wider spectrum of industrial entities. These include energy management, electric utilities optimization, and self-maintaining advanced process control.

Between distributed generation, batteries, storge and integration, digital technology is a critical enabler of innovation and proactive planning for navigating the risks posed by increasingly interconnected grids. AI, advanced analytics, and system risk analysis are essential to understanding and planning for complex systems. Modeling and optioneering of new battery chemistry and industrial scale fuel cells with rigorous digital models are playing a crucial role in enabling the ecosystem of startups and innovators.

Energy Management and Beyond

As the process industry transforms to operate in a low-carbon future, electrification is a critical part of this journey. Product mixes are shifting from the use of transportation fuels to new sustainable materials. To support this trend, microgrids will become increasingly valuable for energy management at industrial sites. Industrial power producers need to align the renewables component of electric power consumed and generated onsite, with the associated carbon footprint benefit. Producers need to optimize power generation and satisfy process energy requirements from electricity.