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2025 Vol.34, Issue 2

Article Review

Extractive Metallurgy and Recycling of Tin

주석의 제련과 리사이클링

Ho-Sang Sohn1*
손 호상1*
1Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Kyungpook National University
1경북대학교 금속재료공학과
*Corresponding Author
30 April 2025. pp. 3-15
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Abstract

Tin (Sn) is one of the seven metals of antiquity and is very familiar to humans. Its annual global use in 2023 was approximately 357 kilotons. Approximately 51% of the total Sn produced globally is used for manufacturing solder. However, it has several other industrial applications. This paper reviews the production and uses of Sn, and its smelting and recycling technologies. Sn is produced by carbothermal reduction of cassiterite(SnO2). During this reaction iron oxide in the ore is also reduced; therefore the behavior of Fe during the reduction must also be considered. Crude tin is refined by pyrometallurgy and electrorefining. Sn refining is also employed as a recycling process. Sn is primarily recycled from solder alloys, and smelting and refining processes are used to recover pure Sn. Additionally, Sn-plated steel sheets are subjected to chlorination, alkaline leaching, alkaline electrolytic leaching, and electrowinning processes to recover scrap Sn and Fe. Understanding these extraction and refining methods is essential for new recycling processes for extracting Sn from secondary Sn sources.

Keywords
tin
pyro-metallurgy
electro-refining
solder
recycling

Sn은 고대 7금속으로 인류와 매우 친숙한 금속이지만, 2023년 전 세계 연간 사용량은 약 35.7만 톤 수준이다. Sn의 약 51 %는 솔더용으로 사용되지만, 현대 산업에서 다양한 분야에 사용되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 주석의 생산량과 용도 및 제련기술과 리사이클링 기술에 대하여 고찰하였다. 주석은 석석을 탄소 열환원하여 만들지만, 광석 중 산화철도 환원되므로 환원반응 중 Fe 거동에 관한 검토가 필요하다. 조주석은 건식정제와 전해정제에 의해 고순도화시키고 있으며, 이러한 Sn의 정제 공정은 리사이클링 공정에도 적용하고 있다. 주석의 리사이클링 대상은 주로 솔더용 합금이며, 주석의 제련 및 정련 공정을 응용하여 순수한 Sn으로 회수하고 있다. 그리고 Sn 도금강판은 염화법, 알칼리 침출법, 알칼리 전해 침출 및 전해채취 등의 방법으로 탈주석하여 Sn과 철 스크랩을 회수하고 있다. 또한 동제련 공정에서도 Sn을 부산물로 회수하고 있으므로 이에 대한 관심이 크다. 따라서 주석의 건식제련법 및 정련법과 전해정련을 응용하여 새로운 주석의 리사이클링 기술의 개발이 필요하다.

키워드
주석
건식제련
전해정제
땜납
리사이클링
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Institute of Resources Recycling
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국자원리싸이클링학회
  • Journal Title :Resources Recycling
  • Journal Title(Ko) :자원리싸이클링
  • Volume : 34
  • No :2
  • Pages :3-15
  • Received Date : 2025-03-04
  • Revised Date : 2025-03-31
  • Accepted Date : 2025-04-02
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7844/kirr.2025.34.2.3
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