GI2AM participates in the AVI METALLON project where the recycling and recovery processes of lithium-ion battery waste for metal recovery will be designed and optimized

The Valencian Agency of Innovation (AVI), through the program Strategic projects in cooperation, has granted the project "Innovative methods of reuse and recycling for the extraction of raw materials of high added value in lithium-ion batteries (INNEST / 2023/302)" (METALLON) to professors of the Department of Chemical Engineering belonging to the Research Groups in Environmental Engineering (GI2AM). This project has been funded with a total of €483,701.32.

Among the researchers are Javier Álvarez, Carmen Gabaldón, Paula Marzal, Josep M. Penya-roja and Pau San Valero, from the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Valencia (https://www.uv.es/ingequim) and the entities AIMPLAS (https://www.aimplas.es/), GDV Mobility (https://gdvmobility.com/) and Recuintec (https://www.recuintec.com/).

In addition, the project has a duration of more than two years, from September 2023 to December 2025, and is part of the aid in terms of strengthening and developing the Valencian Innovation System for the improvement of the productive model for the years 2023 to 2025. They are also co-financed by the European Union through the ERDF Operational Programme.

The METALLON project will investigate the reconditioning and reuse of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in different sectors such as mobility or electric-electronic. Likewise, the recycling and recovery processes of LIB waste will be designed and optimized through the improvement and research of the technologies and processes involved in the separation and recovery of metals, minerals and other high-value materials.

Specifically, researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering will investigate the bioleaching capacity of different microorganisms to recovery different metals present in LIB residues.