The recycling of rare earths

EIT RawMaterials is a key European actor established in 2015 to advance Europe’s transition into a sustainable economy. EIT RawMaterials overarching mandate is to support securing the supply of critical raw materials to the European industry by driving innovation along the raw materials value chain. EIT RawMaterials builds on the world’s largest network of partners in raw materials and advanced materials. EIT RawMaterials provides a collaborative environment for disruptive and breakthrough innovations by connecting more than 300 partners from industry, academia, research, and investment. It also invests in the future generation of innovators for the raw materials sector through initiatives ranging from the education of school students to higher qualifications for industry professionals.

Role in the project

EIT RawMaterials will contribute to exploitation, replication, and transfer activities by activating the extension of its own network, relationships, and channels. Thanks to its network EIT RawMaterials will support in spreading the results of the project to its research and industrial community, building synergies with private and public stakeholders and attract potential investors.

Erion is the leading Italian Extended Producer Responsibility System for the management of different kinds of waste and the exploitation of secondary raw materials. Erion is a non-profit organisation, created by Producers for the environment and the community for the purpose of ensuring I) full compliance with environmental regulations, II) constant dialogue with all stakeholders, III) the creation of efficient eco-innovation services, IV) the optimised and safe management of the collection, transport, and treatment processes of WEEE (Household and Professional), Waste Batteries, Packaging Waste, and Textiles Waste, and the prevention of littering of Tobacco Products Waste.

Role in the project

Erion is leading the communication and dissemination activities and the WP related to the information and technology transfer from New-RE, the pilot project funded by EIT RawMaterials, to INSPIREE. It is also developing a strategy to increase proper PM collection, thanks to its unique knowledge of the complex European WEEE value chain.

Glob Eco is a highly experienced company in the collection and treatment of WEEE, end-of-life vehicles and special waste. Glob Eco makes a concrete contribution to solving the problem of environmental impact, by enabling the recovery and reuse of collected materials by more than 90%, greatly benefiting the environment. Thanks to these efforts, Glob Eco has also obtained WWF accreditation for its waste collection and treatment processes.

Role in the project

Glob Eco will implement the Level I plant functional to the PM pretreatment for the supply of PMs to Itelyum. It will also contribute to the exploitation activities and will actively participate to the communication and dissemination initiatives, to spread the goals and results of INSPIREE.

Itelyum is regeneration of used lube oils, purification of chemical and oil streams, and responsible management of a wide range of industrial waste. Through advanced technologies and continuous investment, Itelyum helps saving natural resources and improving quality of life, with sustainable processes, products and solutions for waste management and the optimization of served markets. Sixty years of industrial history grounded on the principles of the circular economy even before it became the economy of the future, involving customers, suppliers, institutions, local and global communities in creating economic, environmental, and social value.

Role in the project

Itelyum is the lead partner of the LIFE INSPIREE project, dealing with all the steps leading to the construction, operation, and optimization of the process plant for the recovery of rare earth oxides and oxalates from electrical and electronic waste (WEEE, electric motors, etc.). It is then in charge of verifying what was stated in the design phase through the use of actual plant data and, finally, of demonstrating the industrial scalability of the process by drafting up-to-date business plan, extendable to any production capacity. In this way, Itelyum has the opportunity to show that this innovative plant is the winning method to create value from waste.

University of L’Aquila (UNIVAQ) is a public teaching and research institution. It offers various academic programs in biotechnologies, sciences, economics, engineering, education, humanities, medicine, psychology, and sports sciences. With 7 departments, UNIVAQ has more than 18000 enrolled students, 66-degree courses, 8 research doctorate programs, specialization schools, specializing master courses, and vocational courses. Many university members, researchers, and professors have received international recognition and are considered leaders in their research fields.
The Laboratory of Integrated Treatment of Industrial Waste and Wastewater (RIF-IND) of the Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, coordinated by Professor Francesco Vegliò, is part of a high-level Italian and international research environment. The RIF-IND group is fully equipped to develop and manage hydrometallurgical processes to recover raw materials from different types of waste.

Role in the project

UNIVAQ will lead the WP1 Process Analysis and Basic Design Engineering (BDE) for the development, engineering, and upscaling of the process on an industrial scale of the process on an industrial scale starting from the results obtained in the NEW-Re project. In addition, UINVAQ will be the leader of WP5 Impact monitoring and assessment to monitor and evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of the project from the environmental and socio-economic perspectives.

GlobEco is a highly experienced company in the collection and treatment of WEEE, end-of-life vehicles and special waste. It is company with 20 years’ experience in environmental services and specializes in the collection and treatment of special waste. GlobEco makes a concrete contribution to solving the problem of environmental impact, enabling the reuse and recovery of collected material by more than 90 percent, greatly benefiting the environment.

Role in the project

GlobEco supplies PMs extracted from electric motors after demagnetization to be sent to the hydrometallurgical pilot for neodymium recovery.

Treee is a leading industrial group in the collection, transportation, and treatment of WEEE.  The Group covers the entire WEEE supply chain (e.g. collection, treatment, recycling and reuse up to the recovery of critical and valuable raw materials) thanks also to a logistics service. Treee consists of 5 advanced Plants dedicated to WEEE treatment located throughout the country, specifically in Rho (former RELIGHT), Fossò, Livorno, Montalto di Castro and Anagni.

Role in the project

Treee supplies PM extracted from Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) for neodymium recovery and fluorescent powders obtained from EOL fluorescent lamps treatment for REEs recovery. These secondary raw materials are sent to Itelyum to be pretreated (e.g., magnet demagnetization, grinding, etc.) before entering the hydrometallurgical process.

KU Leuven (KUL) is a top 100 university with extensive experience in international collaboration in scientific research. KU Leuven’s LCE research group of about 15 researchers can offer more than two decades of experience in industrial process impact assessment according to ISO 14040 specifications. With significant design work on de-manufacturing and remanufacturing systems, the research group has extensive experience in state-of-the-art EOL treatment methods for WEEE and particularly its electronic fraction.

Role in the project

KUL will oversee de-manufacturing activities (disassembling components to obtain magnets, PWBs from products, and components from PWBs), studying vision systems for automated component detection and product identification, and designing robotics and grippers for automated product handling. The KUL will also assess the environmental impacts associated with the innovations proposed in the project and evaluate their economic dimensions through life cycle costing techniques.

Itelyum company manages waste oil regeneration, chemical and oil streams purification, and a wide range of other industrial waste. Through advanced technologies and continuous investments, Itelyum helps safeguard natural resources and improve quality of life, with sustainable processes, products and solutions for waste management and the optimization of served markets. More than 50 years of industrial history founded on the principles of the circular economy starting before it was considered the economy of the future, involving customers, suppliers, institutions, local and global communities in creating economic, environmental, and social value. Environment Solutions integrates controls and coordinates 18 companies located in Italy, and responsibly manages over 900,000 tons per year of industrial waste. With an owned fleet of over 80 specialised vehicles and network of partners on a national scale, together they offer a comprehensive range of environmental services and a specific know-how in the sector of hazardous waste. The strong territorial presence allows an active presence in all phases of waste management, from collection, to storage, transport, and pre-treatment, is complemented by service and trading activities, environmental and safety consultancy. The facility also includes a certified laboratory for chemical and environmental analyses and two treatment plants for industrial wastewater.

Role in the project

The NEW-RE pilot plant (consisting of a hydrometallurgical and a dismantling solution) will be installed in the Itelyum facility in Ceccano (Italy). In the Itelyum facility, also the final pre-treatment activities on the materials that will feed the NEW-RE plant will be performed. Moreover, Itelyum will lead the final industrialization activities of the project.

UNIVAQ was founded in 1952 and is based in L’Aquila, the administrative center of the Abruzzo Region. The University of L’Aquila. The Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics (DIIIE) at the University of L’Aquila was established in 2012 as an aggregation of faculty and administrative staff from four departments. The main purpose of the Department is to organize and develop research in the fields of interest of Industrial, Information and Economic Engineering. In 2013, DIIIE obtained ISO 9001/UNI EN ISO 9001: 2008 quality certification. The Laboratory of Integrated Waste and Industrial Wastewater Treatment (RIFIND) at the University of L’Aquila, with Professor Francesco Veglio’ as coordinator, is embedded in a high-level research environment, both Italian and international. The RIF-IND group is fully equipped to handle the entire hydrometallurgical process from spent catalysts and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Role in the project

UNIVAQ will test the technical feasibility of a PM dismantling process and the effectiveness of Hydro-Nd technology in recovering REE (mainly neodymium, but also Y, Eu, and Tb) from end-of-life PM through a hydrometallurgical process. UNIVAQ will contribute to the economic and environmental evaluation of the processes.

SWE is a UNIVAQ spin-off with expertise in the development and design of sustainable processes and technologies. It is based in L’Aquila, Italy, and is part of the scientific research and development services industry. SWE already has a good patent commercialization capability (5 industrial clients).

Role in the project

SWE, together with UNIVAQ, oversees the development, design, and testing of the New-RE technology at laboratory scale and through the pilot plant (which will be installed at the Itelyum facility). SWE will contribute to the upgrade of the pilot plant by handling the following activities: process design, software design, M&E budgets, and initiation of pilot testing. SWE will adapt the technical parameters of the recovery solution to the economic constraints identified by the other project partners. SWE will also be responsible for the commercialization of the plant to other operators (defining a Go-to-market strategy for the project innovations) and will contribute to the market analysis and business plan development for REE oxide production (in collaboration with Itelyum). SWE will support the development of communication strategies related to commercialization activities.

OSAI A.S. is an Italian SME operating in the field of automation and system integration for industrial processes. OSAI’s experience focuses mainly on special processes and cutting-edge solutions in niche applications, from medical to semiconductors, automotive, high-tech, and in recent years the circular economy. Each system is created for specific customer applications and uses the latest technologies, such as LASER and ULTRA-FAST laser technology. OSAI’s Circular Economy solution is to develop a system that can remove components from PCBs (from WEEE) and prepare them, through sorting and grading techniques, for precious metal recovery. OSAI’s special dedication to developing innovative solutions for OSAI’s customers and meeting their high-quality standards enables the company’s continued growth.

Role in the project

OSAI is realising a prototype for the dismantling of HD with a fully automatic or semi-automatic approach. This specific activity is performed in strict collaboration with KUL, thus integrating the academic expertise into industry applications. OSAI already developed a recycling technology for PCBs, that will be upscaled and adapted to the needs of the New-RE project and to a new target product, as PMs.

ERION is the leading Italian Producer Responsibility no-profit Organization (PRO) for the management of waste associated with electronic products and the exploitation of the secondary raw materials within it. ERION is created by Producers for the environment and the community for the purpose of ensuring i) full compliance with environmental regulations, ii) constant dialogue with all stakeholders involved, iii) the creation of efficient eco-innovation services, iv) the optimised and safe management of the collection, transport, and treatment processes of WEEE (household and professional), but also of Waste Batteries, Packaging Waste and prevention on the littering of tobacco products waste.

Role in the project

ERION as the project leader coordinates the consortium and assuring a smooth running of the project activities. Also, oversees the communication and dissemination initiatives and contributes to the quantity and quality of end-of-life permanent magnets (PMs) currently availability assessment. Also, develops a strategy to increase proper PMs collection building upon its unique knowledge of the complex WEEEs value chain at EU level.