Description du projet
Une technique innovante de récupération des minéraux dans les saumures d’eau de mer
Le processus ancestral des salines implique l’évaporation naturelle et la cristallisation fractionnée de l’eau de mer. Ce processus crée également un produit dérivé de saumure exempt de calcium et qui comprend quelques éléments essentiels à des niveaux de concentration 20 à 40 fois supérieurs à ceux de l’eau de mer. Le projet SEArcularMINE, financé par l’UE, utilisera la saumure pour développer et intégrer trois technologies innovantes au sein d’une procédure circulaire qui ciblera le magnésium, le lithium et d’autres oligoéléments appartenant aux métaux alcalins/alcalino-terreux, ou au groupe de métaux de transition/post-transition. Ces technologies innovantes seront basées sur trois processus différents: la cristallisation réactive, la séparation membranaire sélective et la sorption/désorption sélective. En adoptant une méthode pluridisciplinaire, le projet améliorera les connaissances sur les processus nécessaires à la récupération de minéraux dans les saumures et l’eau de mer.
Objectif
In this proposal, we build on the ancient and still widely used process of saltworks, where seawater goes through natural evaporation and fractionated crystallization in shallow basins. This process produces sea salt and a brine (bittern) free of calcium as a by-product, which is 20 to 40 times more concentrated than seawater in some crucial elements. The SEArcularMINE project uses this bittern, targeting Magnesium, Lithium and other Trace-Elements belonging to the alkaline/alkaline earths metals (e.g. Rb, Cs, Sr) or transition/post-transition metals (e.g. Co, Ga, Ge) group. Three innovative technologies will be developed and integrated within a circular approach, based on three different processes: 1) reactive crystallisation; 2) selective membrane separation; 3) selective sorption/desorption. The concept is enhanced by: i) energy-efficient concentration steps, ii) on-site generation of reactants from the available brines and iii) production of the required energy from reverse electrodialysis fed with the process outlet brine on-site and solar or wind energy. A multi-disciplinary approach will be adopted for bringing the low TRL of the three main technologies and of the overall integrated concept up to TRL4-5. There will be fundamental advances in the knowledge of the processes, leading to break-through developments of the 3 most important technologies for the recovery of minerals from brines, but also from seawater or any other kind of metals-rich solution.
Within our circular strategy, we will look also at the option of including desalination upstream from the saltworks, providing freshwater to the local communities and a concentrated stream to feed the saltworks, increasing salt productivity and bittern availability.
The adopted approach will have positive effects on the environmental and financial performance, laying the foundations for a future industrial application.
Champ scientifique
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkali metals
- engineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologiesdesalinationelectrodialysis
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metals
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metals
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
90133 Palermo
Italie