Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Solvometallurgy for critical metals

Project description

A novel approach to extracting critical metals from e-waste

The recent ‘rare-earth crisis’ has highlighted the necessity for abundant and cost-efficient materials. Funded by the European Research Council, the SOLCRIMET project is addressing this issue by developing a unique approach called solvometallurgy, which extracts critical metals from waste. This is a different challenge compared to extracting pure metal from primary ore deposits. The proposed method utilises non-aqueous solvent pairs that allow metal extraction at moderate temperatures, resulting in high-purity recycled metals. SOLCRIMET plans lab-scale demonstrations of the solvometallurgical process, with important implications for chemistry, metallurgy and materials engineering, while significantly boosting global recycling rates of critical metals.

Objective

The recent “rare-earth crisis” has brought about the widespread realisation that the long-term availability and cost stability of many materials – not just the rare earths – can no longer be guaranteed. Increasing the levels of critical metal recycling from pre-consumer, manufacturing waste and complex, multicomponent end-of-life consumer products is considered as arguably the most important and realistic mitigation strategy. However, extracting a critical metal from complex waste is a very different challenge to that faced when attempting to produce a pure metal from a primary ore deposit. SOLCRIMET therefore develops a ground-breaking, novel approach called “solvometallurgy”, a new branch within metallurgy, next to conventional hydro- and pyrometallurgy. SOLCRIMET’s aim is to successfully apply this approach to the extraction of specific critical metals, i.e. rare earths, tantalum, niobium, cobalt, indium, gallium, germanium and antimony. As these critical metals are essential components for clean-tech and high-tech applications, they are key enablers of the required transition to a low-carbon, circular economy. The approach involves the discovery of non-aqueous solvent pairs that are immiscible and allow the extraction of metal complexes at moderate temperatures, leading to high-purity recycled metals. The idea is certainly high risk, but the preliminary results already obtained are highly encouraging. The main outcomes of the project will be lab-scale demonstrators that show the enhanced efficiency, utility and applicability of the new solvometallurgical process, with respect to conventional hydro- and pyrometallurgy. SOLCRIMET’s impact on chemistry, chemical technology, metallurgy and materials engineering science will be game-changing. The possibility to recycle critical metals with energy-efficient, low-cost processes could have a significant impact on the global recycling rates of these metals.

Coordinator

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Net EU contribution
€ 2 496 250,00
Address
Oude markt 13
3000 Leuven
Belgium

See on map

Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 2 496 250,00

Beneficiaries (1)