Research: Electrochemical Noble Metal Recycling
Noble metals are a crucial class of raw materials of high value and limited supply. From the viewpoint of sustainable and circular economy, their recycling if of paramount importance.
Due to their chemical inertness, their recycling is challenging. In our laboratory, we have implemented our understanding of electrochemical corrosion of noble metals to develop a process of electrochemical metal dissolution. As opposed to conventional recycling technologies, this process does not require agressive chemicals or high temperature.
Patent
Method for the Recovery of Precious Metal
Hodnik, N.; Baldizzone, C.; Mayrhofer K.J.J., US20180347008A1, 2018-12-06.
Publication
Hodnik, N.; Baldizzone, C.; Polymeros, G.; Geiger, S.; Grote, J.-P.; Cherevko, S.; Mingers, A.; Zeradjanin, A.; Mayrhofer K.J.J. Nature Communications 2016, 7, 13164, 10.1038/ncomms13164.