Descripción del proyecto
Biorrecuperación de materias primas fundamentales
Europa depende casi al 100 % de las importaciones de China, Sudáfrica y Rusia de tierras raras, magnesio y metales del grupo del platino. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos BIORECOVER desarrollará un proceso seguro y sostenible basado en la biotecnología para la extracción selectiva de una serie de materias primas fundamentales de fuentes primarias e inexploradas. El proceso se basará en la integración de las tres principales fases de para lograr la tasa de recuperación (un 90 %), la selectividad (un 95 %) y la pureza (un 99 %) previstas: eliminación de impurezas del metal, movilización de metales a través de microorganismos y recuperación de metales. Para lograr sus objetivos, el proyecto creó un consorcio multidisciplinario que abarca toda la cadena de valor y cuyos miembros proceden de siete países diferentes.
Objetivo
The objective of BIORECOVER is the R&D of a new sustainable & safe process, essentially based on biotechnology, for selective extraction of a range of Critical Raw Materials, from relevant unexploited secondary & primary sources:
-Rare Earths from Bauxite Residue from Greece (MYTILINEOS)
-Magnesium from Mg wastes of low grade minerals and calcination by-products- from Spain (MAGNA)
-Platinum Group Metals from flotation tailings from South Africa (UWITS) & PGM slags, dusts and press cake from United Kingdom (JM)
To this end, BIORECOVER will be based on the integration of 3 main stages to reach the expected recovery rates (90%), selectivity (95%) & purity (99%) (TRL from 2-3 to 5):
(1) Remove the major impurities presents in raw materials sources to achieve the greater availability of the target metals for their recovery.
(2) Mobilise these metals through specific and improved microorganisms to get a leachate enriched with the target CRMs.
(3) Development of a specific technology for recovering metals with high selectivity & purity that meet the quality requirements for its reuse.
Downstream processes will be also studied of the recovered metals for their reuse (brakes pads, oxygen sensors, powder Mg & catalysts). The different stages of the process provide it modular capacity increasing its adaptation flexibility and thus, further market penetration.
LCA & LCC and a Decision Making Framework will support these aims. The awareness, trust & acceptance of the society about the importance of raw materials will be addressed by an awareness campaign and public perception studies. The project results will contribute to EU bio-mining knowledge (RMIS) and a communication with other key project will be also set up.
To achieve this ambitious project, a multidisciplinary consortium covering the whole value chain (from suppliers to end users) will be involved, being represented 7 member states across EU (ES, DK, FR, LE, PT, SE & UK) and effective international cooperation with ZA
Ámbito científico
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metals
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processing
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-SC5-2018-2
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
15180 Culleredo
España