Project title: Ionometallurgy of primary sources for an enhanced raw materials recovery
Funding programme: Horizon 2020
Action type: Research & Innovation Action (RIA)
Duration: 01/06/2019 – 30/11/2023
Overview of the ION4RAW project
Raw materials offer environmentally friendly, clean technology applications and are essential for the manufacture of new and innovative products, such as photovoltaic systems. Contributing to the EIP Raw Materials Strategic Implementation Plan, the EU-funded Ion4Raw project aims to convert new and currently unexploited resources into reserves. It proposes an energy-, material- and cost-efficient new mineral processing technology that will help in the recovery of by-products from primary sources (such as germanium or indium) and major metals, such as copper, silver and gold. The process is based on the use of deep eutectic solvent ionic liquids and advanced electrorecovery. Ion4Raw is working towards TRL level 5 and the production of a sound systemic solution.
Project objectives
The main objective of the ION4RAW project is to develop a novel and sustainable ionometallurgical process to resource- and cost-effectively recovery of mainly by-products from primary sources (and the main metal in the ore), i.e ores and concentrates following a complete value chain. Others include:
- Encourage and support by-product recovery by conducting a comprehensive by-product potential identification and assessment
- Maximise upstream recovery of by-products from primary sources for ionometallurgical processing and minimise the downstream environmental impact
- Cost-efficiently recover by-products from primary sources through ionometallurgical route
- Design and optimise the overall process from a holistic point of view following a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) approach
- Provide proof of process sustainability from economic, technical and environmental point of view, as well as to promote the exploitation of the project’s results
Our involvement in the ION4RAW project
PNO Innovation plays a key role as Work Package Leader for the project’s dissemination, communication and clustering activities.
