Development of a recycling process for tantalum from capacitor scraps

A process based on oxidation treatment at elevated temperature, followed by mechanical separation and chemical treatment, was investigated to develop an effective process for recycling tantalum from capacitor scraps. By this process, tantalum oxide powder, free of SiO2 or other impurities, was recovered from capacitor scrap. Tantalum powder with 99 mass% purity was recovered by magnesiothermic reduction of the obtained tantalum oxide powder.