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.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- engineering and technology materials engineering metallurgy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2015-AdG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 Leuven
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.