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New e-waste extraction tech now draws out palladium and tin with gold, silver and copper
MTM Critical Metals Limited (ASX: MTM) has announced additional successful results extracting vital metals from e-waste using Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology – and this may accelerate Australia’s critical minerals recovery programs in the future.
Building on its previously reported high recovery of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu), MTM has now successfully recovered tin (Sn) and palladium (Pd), confirming the versatility of FJH in efficiently extracting multiple metals from electronic waste (e-waste).
According to a report from Chapter One Advisors, the recovery testing was achieved without the use of toxic acids, recovering about 86 percent of the tin and 82 percent of palladium content from printed circuit boards (PCBs), a common component of e-waste.
According to MTM company executives, these advancements could “greatly enhance the commercial potential of FJH as an environmentally friendly solution for recycling metals from discarded electronics”.
The recovered metals are among the most valuable components in e-waste, substantially increasing the economic potential of recycling it through FJH technology.
“We are thrilled by the progress made in demonstrating the versatility of flash joule heating for e-waste recycling,” MTM chief executive officer, Michael Walshe said.
“The successful recovery of tin and palladium, alongside gold, silver, and copper, highlights the significant potential of FJH as an efficient recycling solution for printed circuit boards. With e-waste representing a vast untapped ‘urban mine’, our technology offers a sustainable approach without the environmental burden of traditional mining or hazardous processing. 
“We are excited to advance discussions with industry partners as we continue our journey towards commercialisation,” Mr Walshe said.
Why this breakthrough matters
E-waste is one of the fastest-growing components of solid waste with more than 60 million tons (Mt) produced annually of which only about 20 percent is recycled. This vast repository contains precious and critical metals like gold, copper, and palladium, valued at over US$70 billion in potential recoverable content.
E-waste contains a variety of valuable metals. For example, printed circuit boards (PCBs) can contain up to 300 grams-per-ton (g/t) of gold, 1300g/t of silver, 4 percent tin and 500g/t palladium – which are concentrations far higher than in natural ores.
However, recovering these metals through traditional methods is energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and expensive. The majority of global metal recovery from e-waste is done in smelters and incinerators across China, India, Nigeria and South East Asia, often using unregulated methods.
Challenges with current e-waste recovery methods
Metal recovery from PCBs primarily uses pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Pyrometallurgy involves high-temperature smelting, which releases toxic dioxins and furans, especially when burning e-waste containing flame retardants, while hydrometallurgy relies on harmful acids that generate substantial toxic waste.
Both processes have high energy consumption, produce harmful emissions, and often struggle with low recovery rates for certain metals, particularly silver.
FJH technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution ‒ by applying direct electrical energy under a chlorine gas atmosphere, FJH can vaporize metals from e-waste and recover them in a two-step procedure without using toxic acids or non-selective incineration.
The FJH process works by ‘flash’ heating e-waste in a chlorine gas atmosphere, vaporizing the target metals like gold for efficient separation and collection via metal chlorides.
Next steps for Australian company MTM
Prototype testing: MTM Critical Metals will continue optimisation of the FJH prototype reactor to scale up the recovery process.
Commercial-scale facility: MTM is finalising the design and operational plans for the 1-ton-per-day commercial production facility.
Strategic partnerships: MTM is actively engaging in commercial discussions with potential e-waste suppliers to support ongoing test work and explore strategic partnerships to scale up the technology for commercial applications. According to MTM CEO Michael Walshe, the company sees these partnerships as key to achieving widespread adoption of FJH technology and maximising its positive impact on e-waste management.
Overview of MTM Critical Metals e-waste recovery testing
- Successful very high recovery of tin and palladium from electronic waste (e-waste) using FJH, expanding the list of recoverable metals to gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), tin (Sn), and palladium (Pd).
- Broader commercial potential as, with the addition of tin and palladium, the FJH process demonstrates enhanced versatility and commercial viability as a sustainable e-waste recycling solution.
- Sustainable and environmentally friendly because there are no toxic chemicals or non-selective incineration – as current processes have – and this new simple process minimises environmental impact.
- Challenges with current methods: Metal recovery from e-waste using pyrometallurgy releases toxic dioxins and furans, while hydrometallurgy uses hazardous acids that generate significant toxic waste tailings.
- Strategic industry engagement is a cornerstone for the company. Discussions are underway with e-waste suppliers to support further testing and strategic partnerships, aiming to advance towards full-scale commercialisation.
- MTM has identified a rich source of metals without mining risks. E-waste can contain up to 1,300g/t silver, 300g/t gold, 4% tin and 500g/t palladium, offering an ‘above-ground’ resource with no exploration risk or mining costs.
- Massive market opportunity: Over 60 million metric tonnes of e-waste is generated annually, containing precious and base metals valued at over US$70 billion in potential recoverable content.
- Recycling e-waste could meet a significant portion of global metal demand, supplying up to 10% of Cu, and 57% of Pd, while reducing reliance on mining and mitigating supply chain risks from unstable regions.
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