Biotechnological route for sustainable recovery of high-value metals

英国每年产生约50万吨电子垃圾，其中大部分被出口、填埋或焚烧。同样，在电池方面，据估计，到2040年，英国仅电动汽车就将产生339千吨电池废物。目前，电池回收的试点/商业规模测试只存在于欧洲。就英国而言，这不仅增加了回收成本，而且剥夺了该国回收关键金属的可能性。对于废旧电子电气设备和电池中的金属回收，目前多采用火法冶金、湿法冶金和直接回收等回收途径。然而，所有这些技术都有其缺点，例如能源使用量高，资本成本高，在过程结束时产生废物（通常是高度危险和有毒的废物）。在这个项目中，我们将开发一种新的和可持续的生物技术工艺，结合电化学工艺，从报废电子电气设备和电池中进行生物浸出和回收金属。本项目的主要任务是：1。开发生产各种生物离子液体的新生物技术工艺（如光自激路线）。生物离子液体提取方法的研究。3. 定量和优化生物离子液体在有价金属（如Cu， Ni, Co， Zn和Au）的生物浸出和电化学回收中的性能。

The UK generates about 500 kilotons of electronic wastes every year of which most of it is exported, landfilled or incinerated. Similarly, for batteries, it is estimated that 339 kilotons of battery waste will be generated in UK by 2040 from electric vehicles only. Currently, pilot/commercial scale tests for battery recycling only exists in Europe. In terms of the UK, this not only increases the recycling costs but deprives the country from the possibility of recovering critical metals. The current recycling route such as pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy and direct recycling are mostly applied for recycling metals from Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) and batteries. However, all these techniques have their disadvantages such as high energy usage, capital costs, wastes generated (usually highly hazardous and toxic wastes) at the end of the process. In this project we will develop a novel and sustainable biotechnological process in combination with electrochemical process for bioleaching and recovery of metals from WEEE and batteries. The major tasks in this project will be: 1. Developing novel biotechnological processes (ex. photo-autotropic routes) for the production of various bio-ionic liquids 2. Developing methods for the extraction of bio-ionic liquids. 3. Quantifying and optimising the performance of bio-ionic liquids in bioleaching and electrochemical recovery of valuable metals (e.g. Cu, Ni, Co, Zn and Au).