Metal separation by mineral carbonation coupled with electromediated stripping and regeneration: toward sustainable metal extraction

In the context of energy transition, powered by the electrification of mobilities and processes, the demand for metals required to manufacture EV Li-ion batteries, has recently risen dramatically. Although those metals are involved in devices dedicated to renewable energy storage, they are still extracted by highly impacting techniques. Regardless of the feedstock (virgin or waste material), current commercial processes are either extremely energy intensive, environmentally impacting or both. Here, we bring the proof of concept of electromediated metal stripping and recovery as a means to alleviate the footprint of late-stage metal recycling processes. Combined to metal separation by amine-assisted chelation or mineral carbonation, this strategy allowed us to separate and recover nearest neighbors of the first-row transition block, such as Mn, Zn, Co, Ni and Cu from a conventional liquid acid feed. In the long term, this could lead to processes only relying on water, CO2 and electricity as consumables. This new and disruptive separative strategy should offer a sustainable alternative to conventional technologies, which consume massive amounts of mineral acid and bases and produce massive amounts of saline effluents, hence no longer comply with sustainability principles.