Chemiemagazine, a Dutch monthly magazine of the Chemical Industry, has published a feature article on the scarcity of (critical) metals and other raw materials (March 2019, 40-42). SIM² KU Leuven provided its view on this crucial issue for Europe.
Interested in a full-time Senior academic open position (“hydrometallurgy for urban mining”)? Check out the new position at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Materials Engineering, Campus Group T/KU Leuven.
The SOCRATES team launched a Press Release on its recent Policy Brief “Lead Metallurgy is Fundamental to the Circular Economy”, claiming the EU’s circular economy plans risk stalling if regulators pursue ill-judged restrictions.
A solvometallurgical route for recycling of SmCo permanent magnets was developed by researchers from the SOLVOMET Group (SIM² KU Leuven). The method is based on non-aqueous solvent extraction to minimize water consumption.
The work is published in Separation and Purification Technology.
The SOLVOMET Group (SIM² KU Leuven), which develops solvometallurgical flow sheets, has synthesized new Deep Eutectic Solvents that can selectively dissolve metal oxides from industrial residues derived from the mining industry.
Within the EU H2020 SOCRATES project, SIM² KU Leuven developed a process to selectively recover lead and zinc from iron-rich jarosite residue of the zinc industry. The work is published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
Recently the use of lead is being called into question by some policy makers. To provide a firm metallurgical background on its crucial role in the Circular Economy, the EU ETN SOCRATES team has just published a new Policy Brief.
Within the EU REMAGHIC project, KU Leuven developed a process to recover yttrium and europium from a mixed oxide obtained by the processing of lamp phosphor waste based on solvent extraction with undiluted thiocyanate ionic liquids.
In the framework of ETN REDMUD, an integrated process was developed by KU Leuven and RWTH Aachen to selectively recover Fe and REEs from slags produced during smelting of bauxite residue. The work is published in Hydrometallurgy.
Metals in spent samarium-cobalt magnet can be recovered by oxidative dissolution of metals in trichloride ionic liquids, followed by metal removal from the leachate with a series of stripping steps. The ionic liquids can be reused for next cycles after regeneration.
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.