EE4Precious (Electroleaching/Electrodeposition For the recovery of Precious metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment)

The objective of the EE4Precious project is to develop a soft chemical alternative to the existing processes for the recovery of precious metals contained in electronic boards (Ag, Au, Pd, Pt), using ionic liquids (ILs), non-volatile and low corrosive solvents. Some coordinating LI with high electrochemical stability can effectively replace aqueous solutions of harmful complexing agents traditionally used for the recovery of precious metals. The IJL and the CEA have demonstrated the feasibility of recovering Pt contained in used fuel cells by electro-leaching/electro-deposition coupling in a unitary reactor. WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which is increasingly produced, is much richer in precious metals than primary resources, particularly electronic cards. They therefore represent an enormous economic potential and an environmental asset for the preservation of resources.