Development of innovative metallurgical systems based on pyro-, hydro-, bio-, iono- and electrometallurgy technologies for the recovery of cobalt and other metals. The construction of a pre-industrial plant is contemplated, integrating these processes so as to allow for the technological validation of the solution with increased economic and environmental efficiency, reaching the objective of zero waste.
The CROCODILE project contemplates the development and optimisation of innovative technologies at a pre-processing and recovery level:
- Technologies for the identification, classification and pre-concentration of waste streams (mechanical, hydro- and pyrometallurgy processes) to obtain concentrates of greater added value.
- Bioleaching: extraction of metals from waste using living organisms.
- Leaching and liquid-liquid extraction using deep eutectic solvents (DES) for the selective extraction of cobalt.
- Liquid-liquid extraction l Electro-winning: to obtain metal cobalt with commercial value.
It also contemplates the production of an economically and environmentally viable mobile commercial metallurgical system to obtain cobalt metal from different waste streams.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, under Grant Agreement No. 776473.
