The effective recovery and separation of critical metals with minimum energy consumption and environmental impact is one crucial challenge in the upstream critical mineral value chain. Several methods, such as solvent extraction, membrane separation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, fractionation-crystallization and precipitation, have been reported to recover critical metals like Li, Co, Ni and rare earth elements from brines, leachates and waste discharge. However, there are still critical deficiencies in selectivity, separation efficiency, cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability and high energy consumption, which seriously affect their extensive application in industry.

To tackle the limitations and drawbacks of conventional extraction processes, this project aims to explore an innovative magnetic sorbent technology to selectively extract critical metals with reversibility to achieve fast selective recovery through a simple magnetic separation. The project will also target intact structures and chemical stability of the magnetic sorbents in harsh environments to ensure effectiveness and longevity in cyclic usage under the challenging conditions of commercial application. The success of the proposed project will not only significantly contribute to hydrometallurgical critical metal recovery and separation but also to the recycling of spent batteries and electronics.