Samsung to reuse rare metals from recalled Galaxy Note 7s

Samsung to reuse rare metals from recalled Galaxy Note 7s

Samsung plans to recycle 157 tonnes of rare metals, including gold, from its recalled Galaxy Note 7s.

The company was forced to launch a $19 billion recall in October last year after it was discovered that the devices were prone to overheating and bursting into flames.

Now Samsung has promised to reuse as many parts of the device as possible, including components such as the camera module, chip and display.

Samsung plans to recycle 157 tonnes of rare metals, including gold, from its recalled Galaxy Note 7s (pictured is a Galaxy Note 7 that exploded in Richmond, Virginia in Oct 2015)

It will also recover metals such as cobalt, copper, gold and silver from components that would not be reused.

'Samsung Electronics has decided to separate and recycle the reusable main components such as OLED display module, memory semiconductor and camera module through the eco-friendly processing method, and to use some as a service material and sell the remaining parts,' a Samsung spokesperson said. 

'In addition, we expect to recover about 157 tonnes of gold, silver, cobalt, and copper in addition to parts through the recycling and recycling process.

'We will also actively promote measures to utilise these major minerals.

The Galaxy Note 7 (pictured in a store in Seoul, South Korea) was first unveiled in August 2016 but devices were recalled after it was discovered they were prone to setting on fire 

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 7 FIASCO

Aug. 2 - Samsung unveils the Galaxy Note 7 at a New York media event.

Aug. 19 - Samsung starts Galaxy Note 7 sales in 10 markets including United States and South Korea.

Aug. 24 - Report of a Note 7 explosion surfaces in South Korea.

Sept. 2 - Samsung announces global recall of 2.5 million Note 7 phones, citing faulty batteries.

Sept. 8 - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advises passengers to not turn on or charge Note 7 smartphones aboard aircraft or stow them in plane cargo.

Sept. 9 - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges Galaxy Note 7 users to stop using their phone.

Sept. 15 - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission formally announces recall of about 1 million Note 7 phones.

Oct. 6 - A Southwest Airlines plane in the United States evacuated due to smoke from a Note 7 device on board.

Oct. 10 - Samsung says it is adjusting Note 7 shipments for inspections, quality control due to more phones catching fire.

Oct. 11 - Samsung asks customers to stop using all Note 7 smartphones, halts production, sales and exchanges of the device globally. 

'We will cooperate with domestic and foreign companies to extract and recycle electronic parts.'

The world's top smartphone maker is trying to move on from the withdrawal of the Note 7 premium devices last year due to safety concerns.

Sales of the flagship Galaxy S8 launched in April have been healthy, analysts say, suggesting a recovery is underway.

The firm had sold 3.06 million Note 7s to consumers before its second and final recall in October, roughly two months after launch.

Days after the Galaxy Note 7 launched reports had surfaced that the devices were bursting into flames (pictured is a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that combusted in September 2016)

A Minnesota father said his daughter suffered a minor burn to her thumb when her replacement Samsung smartphone (pictured) melted in her hand 

Environmental activists such as Greenpeace had previously called on Samsung to recycle or recover the rare materials contained in the devices.

Samsung firm launched a modified version of the Note 7 in South Korea earlier this month as part of the recycling effort.

Called the 'Fandom Edition', the handset is said to boast the same look as the original, but with a smaller 3,200 mAh battery.

The purpose of the revived handset is to market it towards fans of the device, all while minimizing the refurbished phone image.

Samsung firm launched a modified version of the Note 7 in South Korea earlier this month as part of the recycling effort called the 'Fandom Edition'

While Samsung launched its Galaxy S8 device in April, analysts have reassured that Galaxy Note FE will not compete with the smartphone. 

Tom Kang, an analyst at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, told the Wall Street Journal: 'The Note 7 is a unique product for Samsung.

'This is a product for Note-series fans so it's going to address a different market segment from the S8.'  

WHY WERE THE BATTERIES EXPLODING? 

Lithium batteries are use in a range of consumer electronic devices, favored by manufacturers because they are lightweight and pack much more energy into a small space than other power cells.

But storing so much energy in a tiny space, with combustible components separated by ultra-thin walls, makes them susceptible to overheating if exposed to high temperatures, damage or flaws in manufacturing.

If the separators fail, a chemical reaction can quickly escalate out of control.

Koh Dong-jin, Samsung's mobile president, told reporters in Seoul: 'The flaw in the manufacturing process resulted in the negative electrodes and the positive electrodes coming together.'

It is unclear how Samsung failed to discover the battery problem before launching the Note 7. 

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