MTM Extends the Range of Recoverable Metals from E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  MTM Critical Metals has extended the range of metals it can recover from hard to recycle e-waste utilising the company’s proprietary Flash Joule Heating (FJH) process.

Building on the previously reported high recovery of gold, silver and copper, the Perth company has now successfully recovered 86 percent of the tin (Sn) and 82 percent of the palladium (Pd) content from printed circuit boards (PCBs).

This was achieved without the use of toxic acids, enhancing the commercial potential of FJH as an environmentally friendly solution for recycling metals from discarded electronics, according to MTM.

 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”.

 E-waste is one of the fastest-growing components of solid waste with over 60Mt produced annually of which only about 20 percent is recycled.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) can contain up to 300 g/t of gold, 1300 g/t of silver, four percent tin & 500 g/t palladium – concentrations far higher than in natural ores.

However, recovering these metals is energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and expensive, and often performed in developing nations using unregulated methods.

“The FJH technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution ‒ by applying direct electrical energy under a chlorine gas atmosphere, FJH can vaporise metals from e-waste and recover them in a two-step procedure without using toxic acids or non-selective incineration.”

MTM now plans testing of the FJH prototype reactor and finalising the design and operational plans for a proposed one-ton per day facility.

Courtesy: www.aumanufacturing.com.au