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Hydrometallurgy is often used for the extraction of various metals, including copper, gold, silver, uranium, and rare earth elements. It is chosen as the main recycling method when the ore is refractory or difficult to process through conventional pyrometallurgical methods, which involve high-temperature processes.
Martina Petranikova, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers highlighted the industry’s ever growing need for alternatives to inorganic chemicals creating one of the biggest bottlenecks in today’s processes in terms of removing residual materials like aluminum. Their new method, she argued, can offer the recycling industry new options and help resolve age-old problems.
“Since the metals have very different properties, we don’t think it’ll be hard to separate them. Our method is a promising new route for battery recycling – a route that definitely warrants further exploration,” said Rouquette.