Next-Gen Metal Extraction Technology
Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES): A Smarter Approach to Critical Mineral Recovery
At Iondrive, we’re deploying a new class of green chemistry — Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) — to recover critical minerals with greater efficiency and lower environmental impact.
Our proprietary DES process is designed to solve some of the toughest challenges in mineral extraction, offering a closed-loop, low-cost, and non-toxic alternative to traditional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical methods.
Developed in partnership with the University of Adelaide, our DES technology is tunable, scalable, and commercially focused — with proven applications across battery recycling, eWaste recovery, and MHP upgrading.
Real-World Applications Across Three High-Value Markets
How It Works
Deep Eutectic Solvents are biodegradable liquid solvents formed by combining two or more safe, low-cost ingredients — a hydrogen bond donor and a hydrogen bond acceptor — to create a eutectic mixture with a melting point far lower than its components.
This tailored solvent can:
- Selectively dissolve and extract specific metals
- Operate at low temperatures with low energy input
- Be reused multiple times, maintaining process efficiency
- Avoid toxic acids or extreme heat, reducing waste and emissions
Target Applications
Iondrive is applying its DES technology to three major market segments — all critical to the global energy transition:
1. Battery Recycling
Recovering lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from mixed black mass — with up to ~98% metal recovery rates.
📌 Target Market: Global battery recycling (US$13.9B, growing at 17–19% CAGR)
2. eWaste Metal Recovery
Extracting gold, copper, palladium, and rare earth elements from shredded PCBs and HDD magnets.
📌 Target Market: eWaste recovery (US$91B with <25% currently recycled)
3. MHP Upgrading
Separating Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) into refined metal salts (nickel, cobalt, manganese) to support cathode precursor production.
📌 Target Market: Sulphate & precursor chemicals (~US$12B market)
