Gisele Azimi, a University of Toronto professor and Canada Research Chair for Urban Mining Innovations, is pursuing battery recycling solutions using captured carbon dioxide. The experimental technique that Azimi and her team have developed involves the heating and pressurizing of CO2 and "transforming it into a supercritical fluid" that can dissolve and extract critical metals from electronic waste like batteries.
According to the professors, such critical materials "are needed for transferring our society towards a carbon-free era" but recognizes that these resources are not readily available. The battery recycling solution and electronic waste processing provide "an efficient avenue" to gain these resources. Compared to conventionally mined ores with low concentrations of rare earth metals (typically 1 to 2%), electronic waste can contain these metals at rates ranging from 20 to 38%.
Battery Recycling Solutions
Gisele Azimi Experiments with Captured Carbon Dioxide
Trend Themes
1. Battery Recycling - Gisele Azimi's experimental technique involving captured carbon dioxide transforms it into a supercritical fluid to extract critical metals from electronic waste like batteries.
2. Urban Mining Innovations - Gisele Azimi, a University of Toronto professor, is a Canada Research Chair for Urban Mining Innovations, exploring sustainable solutions for gaining critical materials.
3. Carbon-free Era - Battery recycling and electronic waste processing provide an avenue to obtain critical metals needed for transitioning to a carbon-free era.
Industry Implications
1. Environmental Technology - The battery recycling solutions using captured carbon dioxide contribute to the growing field of environmental technology.
2. E-waste Management - The experimental process developed by Gisele Azimi's team presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the field of e-waste management, specifically in the extraction of critical metals.
3. Resource Recovery - The exploration of battery recycling solutions and urban mining innovations can lead to potential disruptive innovation opportunities in resource recovery.