Effective utilization of rare metals.

I am considering the possibility that rare metals may be contained in wastewater treatment sludge and am working on it as a research theme.

Recently, the term "urban mining" has become more commonly heard. It refers to the useful resources found in discarded electronic products that are thrown away as waste in cities, likening them to a mine, and there is a movement being considered, starting from the government, to regenerate and effectively utilize these resources. It is said that the scale of urban mining in our country has reached a level comparable to that of some of the world's leading resource countries. Rare metals are expected to become increasingly difficult to procure in the future, and there is growing anticipation for our country's urban mining. Rare metals (also known as precious metals) are non-ferrous metals that are scarce in circulation within the industrial sector for various reasons, and they are essential materials for the manufacturing of products such as LCD televisions, mobile phones, and automobiles. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has defined 31 types of metals as rare metals and is working on stable supply and domestic stockpiling. The resource value of sludge is still largely unknown. ■ Currently, sludge is incinerated as industrial waste after dehydration and is buried in landfills. ■ In the case of inorganic sludge, it is only reused to a limited extent as incineration ash for construction materials and is not recognized as a resource.

Rare metal recovery