Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / Scopus Indexed Publications Collection

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/7148

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Effect of Mechanical Pre-Treatment on the Recovery Potential of Rare-Earth Elements and Gold From Discarded Hard Disc Drives
    (Springer, 2024) Habibzadeh, Alireza; Kucuker, Mehmet Ali; Gokelma, Mertol
    The growing demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) and their limited availability have made REEs critical with high supply risk. E-waste, particularly waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), offers a valuable secondary source. This study assesses the impact of mechanical pre-treatment on the recovery of REEs and gold from discarded hard disk drives (HDDs). We compared recovery efficiencies of REEs and Au using separation techniques, particle sizing, and chemical analyses between two pre-treatment methods: shredding and manual disassembly. Shredding, common in electronic waste processing, leads to oxidation and significant loss of critical raw materials (CRMs), while manual disassembly preserves clean, and non-oxidized NdFeB magnets for magnet-to-magnet recycling. Manually disassembled HDDs were directly analyzed to determine recyclable quantities of REEs and gold. Shredded HDDs underwent sieving, density, and magnetic separation, followed by demagnetization and chemical analysis. Results indicate shredding causes a 73.9% loss of REEs and a 43.8% loss of Au compared to manual disassembly, with increased oxidation due to finer particles. These findings suggest that while shredding is adequate for recovering ferrous and aluminum fractions, manual disassembly is essential for maximizing REE recovery.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Effect of Mn Concentration on Mechanical Properties of A356 Aluminum Alloy Wheels Produced by Low-Pressure Die Casting
    (Springer int Publ Ag, 2024) Kaya, A. Yigit; Davut, Kemal; Gokelma, Mertol
    Secondary aluminum alloys in automotive industry have been rising in last decades; however, the iron content is still a concern whether recycled or high iron containing aluminum alloys can fulfill the mechanical requirements. As the proportion of recycled scrap increases in aluminum alloy components, the mixing and accumulation of impurities become significant issues. In this study, manganese was used to counteract the detrimental effects of iron. Accordingly, A356 alloy automobile wheels containing 0.002 wt%, 0.040 wt%, 0.069 wt%, and 0.14 wt% Mn were cast using the low-pressure die casting method, followed by T6 heat treatment. Optical microscope (OM) examinations were performed to observe intermetallics. Additionally, the mechanical properties of the produced wheels were evaluated through hardness measurements, tensile, and Charpy impact tests. After the Charpy impact test, fractured surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micrographs from SEM and OM were quantified using digital image processing. To interpret this extensive dataset, a statistical model was developed using microstructural data as input through multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of variance. The results were discussed together with the sensitivity analysis. A weak negative linear correlation between Mn concentration and mechanical properties was found, indicating that Mn addition is not the primary factor for the observed decrease in mechanical properties. Elongation and yield strength were significantly influenced by both aspect ratio and particles/mm2, with greater sensitivity to particles/mm2. Additionally, impact energy was strongly affected by aspect ratio of particles (intermetallics and eutectic Si) and their concentration per unit area.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 3
    Citation - Scopus: 3
    A Viability Study of Thermal Pre-Treatment for Recycling of Pharmaceutical Blisters
    (Mdpi, 2024) Gokelma, Mertol; Diaz, Fabian; Capkin, Irem Yaren; Friedrich, Bernd
    Pharmaceutical packaging is one of the most used packaging types which contains aluminum and plastics. Due to increasing amounts of waste and rising environmental concerns, recycling approaches are being investigated. Since blisters usually contain a balanced amount of plastics and metals, most of the approaches focus on recycling only one material. Therefore, more sustainable recycling approaches which recover both plastic and aluminum fractions are needed. This study investigates the thermal behavior and degradation mechanisms of plastic-rich and aluminum-rich pharmaceutical blisters using various analytical techniques. Structural characterization revealed that plastic-rich blisters have a thicker profile with plastic and aluminum layers, while aluminum-rich blisters consist of plastic layers between aluminum sheets. Thermal degradation analysis showed two main stages for both types: plastic-rich blisters (polyvinyl chloride) exhibited significant weight loss and long-chain hydrocarbon formation between 210 and 285 degrees C, and aluminum-rich blisters (polyamide/nylon) degraded from 240 to 270 degrees C. Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analyses confirmed the endothermic behavior of such a transformation. The gas emissions analysis indicated an increased formation of gasses from the thermal treatment of plastic-rich blisters, with the presence of oxygen leading to the formation of carbon dioxide, water, and carbon monoxide. Thermal treatment with 5% O2 in the carrier gas benefited plastic-rich blister treatment, reducing organic waste by up to 80% and minimizing burning risk, leveraging pyrolytic carbon for protection. This method is unsuitable for aluminum-rich blisters, requiring reduced oxygen or temperature to prevent pyrolytic carbon combustion and aluminum oxidation.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Effects of Size and Mechanical Pre-Treatment on Aluminium Recovery From Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ash
    (Mdpi, 2024) Gokelma, Mertol; Hatipoglu, Utku; Vallejo-Olivares, Alicia; Tuzgel, Rabia onen; Kivrak, Olcay; Bazoglu, Elif; Tranell, Gabriella
    Municipal solid waste (MSW) is incinerated to reduce the volume and recover energy and materials. The generation of MSW has been increasing over the past few decades due to the increase in population and changing consumption habits. Rising environmental and economic concerns have increased the importance of waste treatment and recovery. Currently, MSW may take three alternate or parallel routes: direct recycling, incineration, or landfill, depending on the country and location. MSW incineration has three products in addition to energy: bottom ash, fly ash, and off-gas. After incineration, bottom ash usually still contains many materials to be recovered, such as glass, ceramics, and metals with a degree of oxidation. This study focuses on aluminium recovery from MSW incineration bottom ash from two different countries. The 2-30 mm fraction of aluminium particles was characterized in terms of its size, shape, and oxide thickness, and its effects on aluminium recovery were investigated. In addition, the ability of mechanical pre-treatment to remove oxides prior to melting was studied. The results were compared with the analytical modeling developed in this study. An increasing particle size and surface area resulted in an increase in aluminium recovery. Mechanical pre-treatment increased the yield for smaller particles to a larger extent than larger particles due to the difference in the oxide/metal ratio.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 6
    Citation - Scopus: 6
    Microstructural Investigation of Discarded Ndfeb Magnets After Low-Temperature Hydrogenation
    (Springer, 2024) Habibzadeh, Alireza; Kucuker, Mehmet Ali; Cakir, Oznur; Gokelma, Mertol
    Due to continuously increasing demand and limited resources of rare-earth elements (REEs), new solutions are being sought to overcome the supply risk of REEs. To mitigate the supply risk of REEs, much attention has recently been paid to recycling. Despite the more common recycling methods, including hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes, hydrogen processing of magnetic scrap (HPMS) is still in the development stage. Magnet-to-magnet recycling via hydrogenation of discarded NdFeB magnets provides a fine powder suitable for the production of new magnets from secondary sources. One of the crucial aspects of HPMS is the degree of recovery of the magnetic properties, as the yield efficiency can easily reach over 95%. The amount, morphology, and distribution of the Nd-rich phase are the key parameters to achieve the excellent performance of the magnet by isolating the matrix grain. Therefore, a better insight into the microstructure of the matrix grains and the Nd-rich phase before and after hydrogenation is essential. In this study, a low-temperature hydrogenation process in the range of room temperature to 400 degrees C was conducted as the first step to recycle NdFeB magnets from discarded hard disk drives (HDDs), and the hydrogenated powder was characterized by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results show that there are three different morphologies of the Nd-rich phase, which undergo two different transformations through oxidation and hydride formation. While at lower temperatures (below 250 degrees C) the degree of pulverization is higher and the experimental evidence of hydride formation is less clear, at higher temperatures the degree of pulverization decreases. The formation of neodymium hydride at higher temperatures prevents further oxidation of the Nd-rich phase due to its high stability.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    The Separation Behavior of Tib<sub>2</Sub> During Cl<sub>2</Sub>-free Degassing Treatment of 5083 Aluminum Melt
    (Mdpi, 2024) Li, Cong; Gokelma, Mertol; Stets, Wolfram; Friedrich, Bernd
    Utilizing titanium diboride (TiB2) inoculation for grain-refining purposes is a widely established practice in aluminum casthouses and foundries. Since this inoculation is usually implemented jointly with or between routine melt treatment steps ahead of casting, it is important to know whether and how other melt treatment processes affect the fade of TiB2 particles. For the present study, we investigated the influence of degassing process on the separation behavior of TiB2 particles in aluminum melt. Multiple sampling methods were employed and the samples were analyzed via spectrometer analysis. The removal efficiency of TiB2 during the gas-purging process of 5083 aluminum melt was confirmed to be significant over 10 min of treatment time. The rate at which the TiB2 content decays was found to increase with the impeller rotary speed from 400 rounds per minute (rpm) to 700 rpm. The separation rate of TiB2 particles was obtained to be 0.05-0.08 min(-1) by fitting the experimental data. Particle mapping results suggest that the TiB2 particles were separated to a dross layer. The obtained experimental results were used to quantitatively evaluate the conventional deterministic flotation model. The deviation between the conventional model and the experimental data was explained through the entrainment-entrapment (EE) model. Suggestions were made for future analytical and experimental works which may validate the EE model.
  • Review
    Citation - WoS: 10
    Citation - Scopus: 14
    A Review on Characterization and Recyclability of Pharmaceutical Blisters
    (Elsevier, 2023) Capkin, Irem Yaren; Gokelma, Mertol
    Packaging is one of the biggest sectors in the world and the use of aluminium is widespread in the packaging industry. Pharmaceutical blister packages generate a significant amount of solid waste, typically containing plastics and aluminium as thin layers. Since these packages have a complex structure with multiple layers, they are hard to recycle. A separation process of the plastic and aluminium is needed prior to recycling. Hydrometallurgical or thermal processes can be used for the separation. This work reviews the characterization of different types of blisters and the different reagents used in the separation process of the blister layers. Parameters and results of separation processes by using hydrochloric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, organic solvents, and phosphoric acid were discussed as well as the thermal degradation.