Secondary Production of Tantalum from Additive Manufacturing Swarf
摘要
Tantalum is a material of growing interest in the field of additive manufacturingAdditive manufacturing for its high corrosion resistance, ductility, thermal and electrical conductivity, and chemical resistance in acidic environments and at elevated temperatures. Solid-state processes have been increasingly explored due to its high melting point as a refractory metalMetal, and cold spray is of particular interest as tantalum powder has been shown to have a deposition efficiency of 50–100%. The USGS and the EU consider tantalum to be a critical mineralCritical minerals, but the supply chain can be stabilized by expanding and strengthening secondary production. Machining cold spray parts generates swarf, grindings, and other waste that contain a significant amount of tantalum, which can act as a resource for tantalum recovery. This work will analyze current recyclingRecycling processes of tantalum, and the possible routes that can be explored to recover tantalum from additive manufacturingAdditive manufacturing waste.