# Sustainable tantalum recovery: A hydrofluoric acid-free approach

Mbolantenaina Rakotomalala, Grégory Lefèvre

► To cite this version:

Mbolantenaina Rakotomalala, Grégory Lefèvre. Sustainable tantalum recovery: A hydrofluoric acid-free approach. Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference, May 2024, Dresde, Germany. hal-05308025

HAL Id: hal-05308025

https://hal.science/hal-05308025v1

Submitted on 10 Oct 2025

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# Sustainable tantalum recovery:
A hydrofluoric acid-free
approach

Mbolantenaina Rakotomalala, Grégory Lefèvre

Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), F-75005 Paris, France

## Context

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* Increasing demand for tantalum: predominantly used in electronic components.

* Less than a quarter of the electronic waste generated globally is officially recycled, according to the World Health Organization (2019); however, e-waste streams contain valuable resources that can be reused, including tantalum.

* Issues with current methods of leaching: common use of hydrofluoric acid in hydrometallurgical processes poses significant health and environmental risks.

## GOAL

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* Development of an alternative technique avoiding the use of hydrofluoric acid, promoting green chemistry principles.

* Use of Ta₂O₅ as starting material to demonstrate process feasibility

## Proof of concept

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## Conclusion and outlook

* Proven process concept for Ta₂O₅. Tests on real e-waste are in progress

* Search for a greener chelating agent to replace EDTA