MTM Critical Metals Limited (“MTM”) is pleased to announce additional successful results extracting metals from e-waste using Flash Joule Heating (FJH). Building on the previously reported high recovery of gold, silver and copper, the Company has now successfully recovered tin (Sn) & palladium (Pd), confirming the versatility of FJH in efficiently extracting multiple metals from e-waste.
This was achieved without the use of toxic acids, recovering approximately 86 % of the tin and 82 % of palladium content from printed circuit boards (PCBs), a common component of electronic waste (e-waste). These advancements greatly enhance the commercial potential of FJH as an environmentally friendly solution for recycling metals from discarded electronics. The recovered metals are among the most valuable components in e-waste, substantially increasing the economic potential of recycling it through FJH technology.
MTM Chief Executive Officer, Michael Walshe, said: “We are thrilled by the progress made in demonstrating the versatility of Flash Joule Heating for e-waste recycling. The successful recovery of tin and palladium, alongside gold, silver, and copper, highlights the significant potential of FJH as an efficient recycling solution for printed circuit boards. With e-waste representing a vast untapped 'urban mine,' our technology offers a sustainable approach without the environmental burden of traditional mining or hazardous processing.
We are excited to advance discussions with industry partners as we continue our journey towards commercialisation”.
Why This Breakthrough Matters: E-waste is one of the fastest-growing components of solid waste with over 60Mt produced annually of which only about 20% is recycled. This vast repository contains precious and critical metals like gold, copper, and palladium, valued at over US$ 70 billion in potential recoverable content.
E-waste contains a variety of valuable metals. For example, printed circuit boards (PCBs) can contain up to 300 g/t of gold, 1300 g/t of silver, 4 % tin & 500 g/t palladium; concentrations far higher than in natural ores.
However, recovering these metals through traditional methods is energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and expensive. The majority of global metal recovery from e-Waste is done in smelters/incinerators across China, India, Nigeria, & SE Asia, often using unregulated methods.
Challenges with Current Methods: Metal recovery from PCBs primarily uses pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Pyrometallurgy involves high-temperature smelting, which releases toxic dioxins and furans, especially when burning e-waste containing flame retardants, while hydrometallurgy relies on harmful acids that generate substantial toxic waste. Both processes have high energy consumption, produce harmful emissions, and often struggle with low recovery rates for certain metals, particularly silver.
The FJH technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution ‒ by applying direct electrical energy under a chlorine gas atmosphere, FJH can vaporize metals from e-waste and recover them in a 2-step procedure without using toxic acids or non-selective incineration. The FJH process works by 'flash' heating e-waste in a chlorine gas atmosphere, vaporizing the target metals like gold for efficient separation and collection via metal chlorides.
Next Steps:
- Prototype Testing: Continue optimisation of the FJH prototype reactor to scale up the recovery process.
- Commercial-Scale Facility: Finalise the design and operational plans for the 1-ton per day facility.
- Strategic Partnerships: MTM is actively engaging in commercial discussions with potential e-waste suppliers to support ongoing test work and explore strategic partnerships to scale up the technology for commercial applications. The Company sees these partnerships as key to achieving widespread adoption of FJH technology and maximising its positive impact on e-waste management.