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Project

Centre for Solvometallurgy (SOLMET)

Koen Binnemans’ expertise on solvometallurgy (cf. RARE³ Platform (2012-present) & ERC Advanced Grant SOLCRIMET) is one of the benchmarks in the field of extractive metallurgy, attracting wide interest from a host of companies and RTDs. However, until now this solvometallurgy work is limited to the lab-scale level. C3 SOLMET targets leverage funding for developing the upscaling skills, which allow to launch a new Industrial Service Centre (SOLMET), complementing RARE³’s research excellence. The C3 funding is requested for mini-pilot scale investments (solvometallurgical leaching equipment), developing upscaling science/technology skills (3 generic case-studies: lamp phosphors, steelmaking sludges and goethite sludges) and for setting up the legal and financial structure of the SOLMET Centre, in collaboration with IRF Manager Peter Tom Jones. This allows RARE³ to expand its project portfolio from the present, predominantly strategic basic science domain (cf. 5 MSCA-ETNs coordinated by Binnemans/Jones) to applied and (long-term) contract research.
Date:1 Oct 2017 →  30 Sep 2019
Keywords:solvometallurgy, critical metals, nonaqueous solvent extraction, solvent leaching
Disciplines:Ceramic and glass materials, Materials science and engineering, Semiconductor materials, Other materials engineering