{"id":189943,"date":"2025-09-04T13:40:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eurecat.org\/?p=189943"},"modified":"2025-11-03T16:12:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T15:12:43","slug":"new-technologies-to-recycle-critical-metals-in-computer-components","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eurecat.org\/en\/new-technologies-to-recycle-critical-metals-in-computer-components\/","title":{"rendered":"New technologies to recycle critical metals in computer components"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container has-pattern-background has-mask-background nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1424.8px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:20px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/eurecat.org\/home\/\">Eurecat<\/a> technology centre is taking part in the RECIPLAC project, supporting the social integration company Andr\u00f2mines and the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Catalunya \u2013 BarcelonaTech (UPC) in developing a new advanced computer recycling process which will make it possible to recover critical and high-value metals such as palladium, copper and neodymium magnets.<\/p>\n<p>The project is coordinated by Andr\u00f2mines and based \u201con circular economy and urban mining principles combining three strategies for recovering critical metals from computer recycling,\u201d says Albert Mart\u00ednez Torrents, a researcher in Eurecat\u2019s Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact Unit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis project enables us to make headway as a social and environmental organisation, bringing our experience in waste management and the circular economy to the table,\u201d adds Nuria Sau, project director at Andr\u00f2mines. \u201cFor Andr\u00f2mines, leading the RECIPLAC project is a chance to show that technological innovation and social commitment can go hand in hand, transforming recycling as we know it and creating local jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Toni Dorado, a researcher and coordinator of the Biohydrometallurgy group at the UPC\u2019s Manresa Campus, believes that this project is a big step towards efficiently transferring innovative technology developed in Catalonia with a direct impact on the region\u2019s business community in e-waste recycling.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, it selectively sorts the palladium-rich components from the printed circuit boards (PCBs) of devices and then uses hydrometallurgical technology to recover them.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, it deploys a strategy that taps new biohydrometallurgical processes to recover the metallic copper in the PCBs.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the device then goes through another process to recycle the magnets in computer hard drives. New hydrometallurgical processes turn them into neodymium magnet matrices which can be used as high-quality precursors for new magnets.<\/p>\n<p>The project also includes a study of other components from the computer recycling process since \u201cthe aim is to optimise recycling and increase reuse based on sustainability criteria,\u201d says Dr Mart\u00ednez Torrents.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative has a budget of over \u20ac330,000, part of which has been financed with a \u20ac250,000 grant through the call for Green R&amp;D Hubs for R&amp;D projects in the circular economy in waste management for 2024 by ACCI\u00d3 and the Catalan Waste Agency.<\/p>\n<p>The project has the backing, technical assistance and advice of Datambient as an expert in waste and waste management.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":188162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[743,2583],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-notes-en","category-weei-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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