A review on fabricating functional materials by electroplating sludge: process characteristics and outlook

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Electroplating sludge (ES) is a major industrial waste with abundant heavy metals (HMs).
• Conventional disposal methods like landfilling and incineration are environmentally detrimental, causing HM migration and resource waste.
• Effective ES management requires techniques for HM control and metal resource utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing methods for the material reuse of electroplating sludge.
• To evaluate the feasibility, treatment scales, and HM control capabilities of different reuse approaches.
• To propose a holistic, sustainable materialization pattern for ES reuse.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of ES material reuse techniques.
• Analysis of process flows, principles, and feasibilities of methods like additions in building materials, pigment production, and special functional material production.
• Evaluation of HM control, resource utilization, product safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Current ES reuse methods (building materials, pigments, functional materials) have limitations in scale, HM control, and resource utilization.
• Product safety and cost considerations are often overlooked in existing ES reuse strategies.
• Significant challenges remain in aligning large-scale HM disposal with effective management.

Conclusions:

• Material reuse offers a promising avenue for managing electroplating sludge and recovering valuable metals.
• A sustainable materialization pattern for ES is proposed, integrating disposal efficiency with product safety and cost-effectiveness for commercial viability.
• Further research and development are needed to optimize ES reuse for environmental protection and resource conservation.