Electrochemical engineering for commodity metals extraction

Abstract

Iron, aluminum, and copper have a cost per unit and production capacity that ranks them as commodity. The success of aluminum production by electrolysis enabled this metal to become such a commodity, and the perspective of cost effective C-free electricity offers a unique opportunity to envision new electrolytic processes for Cu and Fe. Those processes will have to exhibit stringent productivity, high-energy efficiency, and evolve environmentally compatible products at the anode to maintain the sustainability of both metals. From a productivity standpoint, the production of liquid metal is an important feature that calls for the development of high temperature electrolytes compatible with the metal feedstocks. This challenge requires a multidisciplinary endeavor, where the physico-chemical understanding of high temperature electrolytes and the electrochemistry of both cathodic and anodic reactions will need to be provided to enable the design of competitive electrochemical reactors with unique performance.