Innovation makes it easier and more cost-effective Recovering precious metals from used electronic devices

Rochester, New York, August 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — REMADE Institute, A 154-member public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with an initial investment of $140 milliontoday announced a new technology license that includes innovations that make it easier and more cost-effective to recover precious metals from used electronic devices.

The innovations developed with the help of REMADE are part of the first R&D project funded by the Institute in 2020. The R&D project “Recovery of Low Concentration Metals from Complex Streams Using Gas-Assisted Microflow Solvent Extraction (GAME)” is still ongoing and Zhang WenzaiPh.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mining and Mineral Engineering Virginia Tech Faculty of Engineering, and Aaron Noble, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the same department. Phinix, LLC is an industry partner for this project. REMADE’s technical team oversees the project to ensure it meets the technical milestones of the laboratory and his DOE.

“Congratulations to the entire project team, including the researchers Virginia TechPhinix’s team, and the Institute’s technical team,” said REMADE’s CEO. Nabil Nasr“We believe the licensing of the new technology is a major achievement and will be of great value to US-based electronics recycling companies.”

Details of the innovation, including both hardware set-up and process, are subject to pending patents and are confidential. The advantages of an all-unique process make it cost-effective to recover precious metals from a wide variety of electronic waste destined for landfills. IP licensed exclusively to Phinix, LLC.

Zhang, principal investigator of the R&D project, said the research could ultimately lead to easier and more cost-effective recovery of precious metals from personal computers (PCs), which are classified as electronic waste (e-waste). He said that he is aiming to develop technology to

“The printed circuit board (PCB) found in end-of-life PCs is one of the most promising sources of gold and silver,” said Zhang. “We need to do everything we can to make it easier and cheaper to recover these important minerals so that manufacturers can reuse them.”

A typical PC motherboard contains 566 ppm gold and 639 ppm silver. One of them, gold, is more than an order of magnitude higher than common economic ore grades.

REMADE Chief Technology Officer Magdy Azel The technology license is another milestone in a public-private partnership aimed at facilitating the reuse, remanufacturing, recycling and recovery of four energy-intensive materials: metals, polymers/plastics, textiles/paper, and e-waste. I said yes.

“REMADE will fund research and development projects that have the highest potential to reduce energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, use less raw or primary materials, and increase recycling or use of secondary materials. We choose to do that,” said Azer. “This particular R&D project could develop technologies that increase the recovery of precious metals from e-waste, providing a valuable resource for US-based electronics companies and other US manufacturers, As a result, it will make America’s supply chains more resilient, reducing the nation’s dependence on minerals from other countries.”

Subodh Das, the founder and CEO of Phinix, which now holds an exclusive technology license, said his company partners with electronics manufacturers who want to use technological innovations to recover precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium from their lifetime. said he was eager to do so. PC.

“Most of the 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste produced globally is not recycled,” Das said. “Only 9% of e-waste in the United States is recycled. Most is exported or landfilled. Gold, silver and copper are the most valuable recoverable resources. Recovery includes: This innovation is a potential boon.Many US-based electronics companies are actively seeking ways to recover precious metals from their products. We can help electronics companies recover and reuse these used resources, and help U.S. manufacturers in other industries interested in these recovered resources…precious metals too.”

Please contact the REMADE Institute for more information. [email protected], Virginia Tech David Irvine and [email protected]and/or Phinix CEO Subodh Das and [email protected].

About the remake

Founded in 2017, REMADE is a 154-member public-private partnership founded by the U.S. Department of Energy. $140 millionhalf is DOE funds and the other half is at the member’s expense. REMADE is the only national laboratory dedicated to developing innovative technologies to accelerate America’s transition to a circular economy. REMADE works with industry, academia, and national laboratories to conduct early-stage applied research and research that creates jobs, significantly reduces energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increases the supply and use of recycled materials. enable development. For more information on REMADE, please visit www.remadeinstitute.org.

For more information, please contact:
Megan Connor Murphy
Director, Marketing and Communications
Remade Institute
585-213-1036 Office
585-339-8379 cell
[email protected]

SOURCE REMADElaboratory