Method for high-purity tin recovery and hydrogen production using methane reduction

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of using a methane gas to recover tin with high purity and to produce hydrogen at once, and the method uses the methane reduction technique that combines the two different processes of tin recovery and hydrogen production, thereby recovering tin with high purity from a methane gas and a tin oxide according to the methane reduction technique stably without emission of environmental pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, etc., and also producing hydrogen available as a new energy resource. Further, the present invention enables the recycling of waste materials containing tin oxides generated in all kinds of industries to prevent environmental contaminations and to offer solutions to the stable recovery of expensive tin with high purity and the dramatic reduction of hydrogen production costs at once, increasing economical efficiency and thus contributing to the efficient use of resources.

1 . A method for recovering tin with high purity and producing hydrogen using methane gas, the method comprising:
 (S1) adding a methane gas (CH 4 ) into a reaction furnace containing a tin oxide;   (S2) activating a reduction reaction of a mixture of the tin oxide and the methane gas of step (S1); and   (S3) collecting tin and hydrogen gas produced after the reduction reaction of the step (S2).   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tin oxide includes an oxidized tin, a salt of tin oxide, or a waste containing the oxidized tin and the salt of tin oxide. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a mixing molar ratio of the tin oxide and the methane gas is 1:1 to 6. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reduction reaction of the step (S2) is performed at 600 to 1,500° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the methane gas contains 80 to 99% methane. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the methane gas contains 80 to 99% methane. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the methane gas contains 80 to 99% methane. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the methane gas contains 80 to 99% methane.