Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FIREFLY (FlexIble, predictive and Renewable Electricity powered electrochemical toolbox For a sustainable transition of the catalyst-based European chemicaL industrY)
Período documentado: 2024-07-01 hasta 2025-12-31
The EU-27 chemical industry is the second largest in the world, generating sales for EUR 499 billion, which have increased by 38% since 2000. Most chemical industries rely on the use of catalysts (~90% of all chemical processes) and 60% of all industrial products are made using catalysis. Europe has a large share of the global catalyst manufacturing (~25%). Europe is also a significant user of catalysts (world's largest consumer of platinum group metals, PGMs). Many catalysts rely on critical metals, endangering the sovereignty and competitiveness of Europe. There is an urgent need to address strategic foreign dependencies, which include critical and particularly vulnerable metals like Mo and W. On top of this, the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine increased the high vulnerability of critical metals such as the PGMs and Ni. Metal recovery for catalyst recycling and the integrated green production of (electro)catalysts are essential for the cost-competitive and sustainable development of all electrifiable chemical value chains. The FIREFLY project sees the recycling of critical metals contained in spent, off specifications and waste catalysts, as an exceptional opportunity to address these issues.
The FIREFLY project aims to electrify a large part of the chemicals value chain in a sustainable way (environmental, economic, social): power-to-chemicals fostered via electrochemical catalyst recycling. The specific objectives (SO) to meet this aim are:
SO1. To research, develop, and optimize innovative and sustainable electrified/electrochemical technologies (TRL4) for recycling metal-based catalysts and the downstream (electro)chemical synthesis of strategic (electro)catalysts.
SO2. To research, develop, and optimize the powering of these electrified/electrochemical technologies by Renewable Energy Sources (RES) considering performance, environmental friendliness, and cost-efficiency in this electrification scenario.
SO3. To research, develop, and optimize a digital tool (based on machine learning and artificial intelligence) for prescriptive and predictive decision-making of the optimized metal recycling and catalyst synthesis processes.
SO4. To develop the modelling- and simulation-based engineering framework to support the understanding, innovation, and optimization of the design, operation, validation, and demonstration of the FIREFLY process.
SO5. To demonstrate (TRL6) the electrified FIREFLY process for the recycling of metal-based catalysts, simultaneous production of (electro)catalysts, and validation of the latter in selected (electro)chemical applications.
SO6. To assess the integrated sustainability of the FIREFLY concept and benchmark it versus the State of the Art (SoA) recycling and production of catalysts and selected chemical manufacturing applications.
The FIREFLY process will be the solution to overcome key challenges associated to the recycling of critical metals from spent, off specifications and waste catalysts and will positively influence a wide range of stakeholders in the catalyst value chain.
The FIREFLY project aims to electrify a large part of the chemicals value chain in a sustainable way (environmental, economic, social): power-to-chemicals fostered via electrochemical catalyst recycling. The specific objectives (SO) to meet this aim are:
SO1. To research, develop, and optimize innovative and sustainable electrified/electrochemical technologies (TRL4) for recycling metal-based catalysts and the downstream (electro)chemical synthesis of strategic (electro)catalysts.
SO2. To research, develop, and optimize the powering of these electrified/electrochemical technologies by Renewable Energy Sources (RES) considering performance, environmental friendliness, and cost-efficiency in this electrification scenario.
SO3. To research, develop, and optimize a digital tool (based on machine learning and artificial intelligence) for prescriptive and predictive decision-making of the optimized metal recycling and catalyst synthesis processes.
SO4. To develop the modelling- and simulation-based engineering framework to support the understanding, innovation, and optimization of the design, operation, validation, and demonstration of the FIREFLY process.
SO5. To demonstrate (TRL6) the electrified FIREFLY process for the recycling of metal-based catalysts, simultaneous production of (electro)catalysts, and validation of the latter in selected (electro)chemical applications.
SO6. To assess the integrated sustainability of the FIREFLY concept and benchmark it versus the State of the Art (SoA) recycling and production of catalysts and selected chemical manufacturing applications.
The FIREFLY process will be the solution to overcome key challenges associated to the recycling of critical metals from spent, off specifications and waste catalysts and will positively influence a wide range of stakeholders in the catalyst value chain.
Stage 1 of FIREFLY focused on optimization (to TRL-4) of flexible technologies in the electrochemical toolbox and catalyst synthesis.
Experimental activities have been carried for electrified technologies: MCP: Mechanochemical processing, ELX: Electroleaching, ESLX: Electro-driven solvoleaching, ESX: Electro-driven solvent extraction, ERMS: Electrochemical recovery from molten salts, ETMS: Electrochemical transformation in molten salts, ETOS: Electrochemical transformation in organic solvents, GDEx: Gas-diffusion electro-crystallization. Successful recoveries in line with the project's KPIs were obtained. ETMS, GDEx, and ELX have been successfully modelled via a multi-physics approach.
A vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is investigated, which can be used for the RES integration.
The first user interface (UI) prototype design of the AI/ML based digital tool was developed which will support users in decision-making of the enhanced (electro)catalysts recycling.
Lab-scale testing of (electro)catalysts synthesized from the recovered metals are being performed for demo cases (ammonia synthesis by nitrogen reduction, electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide, lignin depolymerization, and biomass processing).
The integrated sustainability of the FIREFLY processes is being evaluated by: 1) assessing the valorisation routes for the residual matrices 2) performing preliminary Integrated Life Cycle Assessment (ILCSA) to select the technology flowsheets.
During M19-M36, the individual technologies (TRL4) have achieved their KPIs: MCP extracted 100% Pd and 98% of V and W, ESLX achieved 75-98% Pd leaching, ELX extracted 57% of Pd and 80% of V, ETOS achieved 99% Pd recovery, ERMS succeeded in the chlorination process of the Pt/C waste stream, GDEx extracted 99% Pd. The downstream synthesis of catalysts was upscaled to TRL4 and the (electro)catalysts tested in demo cases performed on par with SoA.
ETMS, ETOS, ELX, GDEx, ERMS were successfully modelled followed by the modelling of flowsheets with integrated technologies.
The VRFB was tailored to the electrified technologies for RES integration.
The first version of AI/ML based predictive tool was released.
The preliminary ILCSA was carried out for the Pd-based flowsheets.
Experimental activities have been carried for electrified technologies: MCP: Mechanochemical processing, ELX: Electroleaching, ESLX: Electro-driven solvoleaching, ESX: Electro-driven solvent extraction, ERMS: Electrochemical recovery from molten salts, ETMS: Electrochemical transformation in molten salts, ETOS: Electrochemical transformation in organic solvents, GDEx: Gas-diffusion electro-crystallization. Successful recoveries in line with the project's KPIs were obtained. ETMS, GDEx, and ELX have been successfully modelled via a multi-physics approach.
A vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is investigated, which can be used for the RES integration.
The first user interface (UI) prototype design of the AI/ML based digital tool was developed which will support users in decision-making of the enhanced (electro)catalysts recycling.
Lab-scale testing of (electro)catalysts synthesized from the recovered metals are being performed for demo cases (ammonia synthesis by nitrogen reduction, electrosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide, lignin depolymerization, and biomass processing).
The integrated sustainability of the FIREFLY processes is being evaluated by: 1) assessing the valorisation routes for the residual matrices 2) performing preliminary Integrated Life Cycle Assessment (ILCSA) to select the technology flowsheets.
During M19-M36, the individual technologies (TRL4) have achieved their KPIs: MCP extracted 100% Pd and 98% of V and W, ESLX achieved 75-98% Pd leaching, ELX extracted 57% of Pd and 80% of V, ETOS achieved 99% Pd recovery, ERMS succeeded in the chlorination process of the Pt/C waste stream, GDEx extracted 99% Pd. The downstream synthesis of catalysts was upscaled to TRL4 and the (electro)catalysts tested in demo cases performed on par with SoA.
ETMS, ETOS, ELX, GDEx, ERMS were successfully modelled followed by the modelling of flowsheets with integrated technologies.
The VRFB was tailored to the electrified technologies for RES integration.
The first version of AI/ML based predictive tool was released.
The preliminary ILCSA was carried out for the Pd-based flowsheets.
The main achievements obtained beyond the state of the art are: MCP achieved a leaching yield of 91% for Zr, GDEx achieved ~ 100% recovery of PGMs from synthetic streams, ESLX leached 85% Pd. These results will contribute to replace: (i) chemical additions by electric input, (ii) strong acids/chemicals by milder and highly recyclable solvents, (iii) materials from primary resources by recycled materials, (iv) high temperature by milder operating conditions, and room temperature processing (i.e. ELX, ESLX, ESX, GDEx), (v) multiple processing steps by fewer operations (including upstream pretreatment and downstream separation and purification), and (vi) various chemical/thermal flowsheets by greener fully-electrochemical flowsheets.
During M19-M36, the main results obtained beyond SoA: optimized electrified technologies for recycling of catalysts (>75-100% recovery efficiency); evaluation of RES integration; valorisation of the residual matrices and the testing of recycled catalysts; TEA and GHG emission estimation of the flowsheets; comparable/lower recovery costs vs. SoA for the Pd-based waste. The impacts are: up to 65% lower CO2 emission compared to SoA; electrification of the industrial production process; energy savings; reduction in cost; material savings.
During M19-M36, the main results obtained beyond SoA: optimized electrified technologies for recycling of catalysts (>75-100% recovery efficiency); evaluation of RES integration; valorisation of the residual matrices and the testing of recycled catalysts; TEA and GHG emission estimation of the flowsheets; comparable/lower recovery costs vs. SoA for the Pd-based waste. The impacts are: up to 65% lower CO2 emission compared to SoA; electrification of the industrial production process; energy savings; reduction in cost; material savings.