Process for recycling waste carbide

An electrolytic process for recycling waste carbide, characterized in that, the waste carbide is directly used as an anode and electrolyzed in a molten salt electrolyte, comprising the following steps, without solid, liquid or gas waste emissions:

• 1) vacuum dehydrating the molten salt electrolyte;
• wherein the molten salt electrolyte is a compound of formula:
• (x)A-(y)B—(z)NaCl
• wherein,
• x is the mole percentage content of A;
• y is the mole percentage content of B;
• z is the mole percentage content of NaCl;
• x is in the range of 5 to 70 mol %;
• y is in the range of 0 to 60 mol %;
• z is in the range of 0 to 50 mol %;
• A is one or more selected from the group consisting of CaCl2), KCl and LiCl;
• and
• B is one or more selected from the group consisting of WCl6, WCl4, WCl2, Na2WO4, K2WO4 and CaWO4;
• 2) electrolyzing the waste carbide in the molten salt electrolyte via electrolysis having an electrolysis temperature of 350 to 1000° C., whereby a metal powder having a particle size in the range of 20 nm-500 μm is produced, wherein the waste carbide is used as the anode in the electrolysis, and an inert electrode is used as a cathode in the electrolysis, wherein the anode and the cathode are submerged into the molten salt electrolyte, vertically parallel to one another, with a distance of at least 2 cm apart, and wherein the anode and the cathode do not overlap or intersect each other;
• wherein a protective gas is used during the electrolysis, wherein the protective gas is a mixed gas comprising one or more gases selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, nitrogen and argon for W, W—Co powder products, wherein the mixed gas comprises a volume content of oxygen in the range of 10-20%, and wherein the electrolysis comprises potentiostatic electrolysis in a cell having a cell voltage, and the cell voltage is controlled in the range of 2.8 to 3.2 V;
• and
• 3) separating and collecting the metal powder produced by the electrolysis from the molten salt electrolyte.