In May 2020 the SOLVOMET Group filed the patent application “Method for producing battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate” that became public in November 2021. The first part of the patented flowsheet is now disclosed in JSM.
Within the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 project NEMO, SOLVOMET/SIM2 researchers have compared the effect of mixer-settlers and agitated columns on the separation of cobalt and nickel with Cyanex 272.
SOLVOMET/SIM² researchers have published their research on the effect of polar organic solvents on the solvent extraction process for rare-earth separation. The research was performed in the framework of the H2020 project NEMO.
SIM² KU Leuven’s HiTemp Group studied the characterisation of antimony-containing metallurgical residues in view of enhanced antimony recovery. The results were published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
SIM² KU Leuven’s HiTemp Group developed an innovative experimental setup to measure the electrical conductivity of slag while observing slag crystallisation. The results were published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
The Lifecycle Engineering research group (SIM²) has explored a new procedure to identify EoL electrical products by evaluating an image of the device’s product label. The work was published in Journal of Industrial Ecology.
SOLVOMET/SIM² researchers have published their research on a solvometallurgical process for the recovery of cobalt from lithium-ion batteries in Green Chemistry. The research was performed within the framework of the Horizon 2020 project CROCODILE.
Within the context of EU NEMO, SIM² KU Leuven/SOLVOMET researchers developed a non-aqueous solvent extraction process for the separation of heavy rare earths (HREEs). The work was published in Separation & Purification Technology.
The Lifecycle Engineering research group (LCE/SIM² KU Leuven) has explored a new methodology for mass estimation and classification of scrap metals using Deep Learning. The work was published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling.
SIM² KU Leuven geologists have described the occurrence of Nb and Ta oxide minerals associated with complex phosphate mineral assemblages in phosphorus-rich pegmatites. The work is published in the American Mineralogist.
KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals – Kasteelpark Arenberg 44 – Leuven 3001, Belgium
SIM² KU Leuven is the new KU Leuven Institute on Sustainable Metals and Minerals, one of the 4 flagship KU Leuven Institutes. SIM² mission is to develop, organise and implement problem-driven, science-deep research and future-oriented education, contributing to the environmentally friendly production and recycling of metals, minerals and engineered materials, supporting the transition to a climate-friendly, circular-economy.