Next-Gen Metal Extraction Technology
IONSolv™: A Modular, Closed-Loop Platform for Urban Mining
Iondrive’s technology is built around IONSolv™, a proprietary solvent-based extraction platform engineered to recover high-value critical minerals from complex waste streams with exceptional selectivity, efficiency and purity.
IONSolv™ is designed for modular, closed-loop, low-emissions operation, offering a cleaner, faster and lower-cost alternative to conventional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes.
Developed with the University of Adelaide, the platform is scalable, tunable and commercially focused, supporting a rapid transition from lab validation to pilot deployment and large-scale industrial applications.
Real-World Applications Across High-Value Markets
What Makes IONSolv™ Different
IONSolv™ enables operators to:
- Selectively extract target metals — including NdPr, lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper, gold and silver
- Achieve high recoveries (up to ~98% in bench-scale work)
- Operate at low temperatures with minimal energy input
- Reuse solvents in a closed loop, reducing waste and emissions
- Avoid harsh acids, cyanide or high-heat smelting
This results in a process that is cleaner, safer and more cost-efficient than legacy metal-extraction technologies.
How It Works
IONSolv™ uses a family of Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) — biodegradable, non-toxic liquid solvents engineered to selectively dissolve and extract targeted metals.
IONSolv™ improves on traditional methods by:
- Operating at lower temperatures
- Minimising chemical consumption
- Reducing waste generation
- Enabling solvent reuse and recycling
- Delivering high-purity metal outputs suitable for downstream processing
This creates an efficient, closed-loop, environmentally responsible extraction pathway.
Target Applications
IONSolv™ supports multiple high-value markets, reflecting the growing demand for secure, domestic supply of critical minerals.
E-waste & Magnet Recovery
- Recovering rare earth elements (including NdPr), gold, copper, silver and other high-value metals from electronic waste, printed circuit boards and end-of-life magnets.
Battery Recycling
- Extracting lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from mixed black mass, with a pathway to produce higher-value battery-grade intermediates.
Solar Module Recovery
- Recovering silver and silicon from end-of-life solar modules, supporting recycling solutions for rapidly expanding solar infrastructure.
Mining Intermediates & Tailings
- Upgrading Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP), tailings and complex ores into strategic oxides with meaningful value uplift.
