Innovate3X - 5
Scaling Industrial Processes of Critical Raw Materials Recovery And Application
Initiator: UPC BarcelonaTech
The Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM Barcelona) at the UPC BarcelonaTech is a multidisciplinary hub at the forefront of materials science, in the fields of micro and nanoengineering, nanotechnology and biomaterials. Link to the website: https://futur.upc.edu/idioma/en
R2EM research and innovation team at Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM Barcelona) is developing research activity on development of sustainable urban and industrial waste management cycles based on resource recovery approaches promoting circular solutions of waste to product and waste to energy. Research also involves efforts on developing environmental remediation solutions for soils and ground water remediation, process and environmental monitoring and environmental risk assessment on ports.
Desired Outcome:
SMAR3TS project partner - UPC BarcelonaTech and its R2EM research and innovation team at Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM Barcelona) are working on recovery of materials such as brine. Recent examples include a successful nano-filtration pilot (removing materials and allowing pure filtration tests – technology that has been commercialized – high pressure NF for separation of NaCl and CaCl2).
The Innovate3X (I3X) challenge (described here as a call to innovate solutions for resilience, restoration, and regeneration) invites research and innovation talent within the SMAR3TS project to assess how critical raw matericals can be recovered and applied/reused in industry, e.g., rare earth elements (REE) recovery, and how to manage industrial waste, e.g., in the mobility sector.
This I3X is Looking for Skills and Capabilities across Disciplines for:
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​Knowledge of industrial critical raw material recovery processes
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Ability to perform economic analysis
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Experience of developing techno-economic evaluation scenarios
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Engagement of mining technology companies and research centers (e.g., RMIT and mineral processing companies in Australia, e.g., BHP)
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Important:
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SMAR3TS Secondments are open only to SMAR3TS Consortium Partners.
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Secondments aligned to any I3X can be undertaken at either the Initiating Parter premises and/or other SMAR3TS Consortium Partner premises.
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Regardless of where you are undertaking work on an I3X, you are obligated to ensure the aligned I3X Initiator Project Contact, Lead / Responsible aligned Work Package Leader, as well as the SMAR3TS Project Management Team are kept fully up-to-date with the progress of your contribution to your secondment aligned I3X - Refer to the detailed information 'About Secondments - What are Secondments'.
Examples of Challenges that Need to be Addressed
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Managing metal waste(e.g., in the pyrometallurgical industry)
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Interaction of hazardous metal waste with the soil
Initiator Institution (UPC) Contact for this I3X
​​​Contact: Prof. Jose Luis Cortina, jose.luis.cortina@upc.edu
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Alignment to Work-Package/s
SMAR3TS domains that are relevant to the work of UPC BarcelonaTech organization/research and innovation team are:
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Lead / Responsible Work Package - Nutrition: e.g., upcycling process of agri-food waste, sustainable food packaging
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SMAR3TS Nutrition Work Package Lead Contact: Assoc. Prof. Letizia Mortara, University of Cambridge, lm367@cam.ac.uk
With some alignment to: ​
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Energy: energy recovery, energy transition, reducing energy consumption
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Mobility: sustainable mobility and digitalization, processes for critical material recovery and reuse in the mobility sector
Alignment to Resilience, Restoration, Regeneration (R3)
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Regenerative food production and recycling
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Regeneration processes in the pyrometallurgical industry
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Restoration: recovery and reuse critical raw materials for the future of mobility
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Restoration: maximizing water reuse and water recovery through smart, circular and integrated solutions for sustainable energy use and production
NOTE:
Click here for instructions on how to plan for a secondment.
Related Keywords
Industrial manufacturing, Material and Transport Technologies, Materials Technology, Traffic, mobility, Mining Technologies, Mining and extraction, Waste to energy other, Integrated waste-energy processes, Recycling, Recovery, Rare Earths Metals Treatment, Waste to Energy /Resource, Light metals, Multi-material, Mobility (road, aerospace, marine), Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Materials Processes, Novel Materials and Materials Technology, Chemicals and Materials, Speciality metals (including processes for working with metals), Machine tools, other metal working equipment (excluding numeric control), Mining machinery, mobility, pyrometallurgical.