Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) reports laboratory recovery of gallium and platinum from e waste
Lithium Universe has reported University of Edinburgh laboratory results showing that its licensed tertiary diamide ligand technology can extract and precipitate gallium and platinum from acidic metal solutions under selected laboratory conditions.
Highlights
Greater than 99% gallium precipitation achieved.
Complete Pt(IV) uptake achieved under selected laboratory conditions.
Hydrochloric acid concentration, temperature and ligand quantity can influence metal capture.
The tertiary diamide ligand can be recovered and reused.
Further test work, process development and scale up are required.
Lithium Universe holds an exclusive worldwide licence from the University of Edinburgh to commercialise the Gold and Copper Diamide Extraction technology developed by researchers led by Professor Jason Love and Professor Carole Morrison.
The technology uses a recyclable tertiary diamide ligand to selectively recover valuable metals from complex acidic solutions, including those generated from electronic waste.
The original research focused primarily on gold recovery and demonstrated that the diamide could selectively precipitate gold from solutions containing numerous competing metals.
Laboratory testing achieved greater than 99% gold recovery, while subsequent processing produced metallic gold with 97.04% purity.
The broader process is designed to selectively remove gold initially, followed by a separate copper recovery stage, creating the basis for sequential metal recovery.
The latest test work investigated whether the ligand could capture and separate gallium and platinum from acidic metal solutions.
The procedure begins by dissolving metals from e waste into a hydrochloric acid solution, where they combine with chloride to form metal chloride complexes with different shapes, sizes and chemical characteristics.
The diamide has a stronger attraction to particular metal chloride structures and does not capture every metal present in the solution.
Researchers found that variables including hydrochloric acid concentration, temperature and ligand quantity can alter which metals are preferentially captured.
At approximately 2 M hydrochloric acid, the diamide strongly favours gold, while increasing the concentration to approximately 6 M hydrochloric acid and adding excess ligand broadened the range of metals capable of precipitating, with the diamide achieving greater than 99% gallium precipitation under the stronger acidic conditions.
Platinum performance depended on its oxidation state: when platinum was present as Pt(IV), the diamide captured it, with complete Pt(IV) uptake achieved under selected laboratory conditions, whereas platinum present as Pt(II) behaved differently.
Once a target metal is captured, the diamide and metal form a solid precipitate that drops out of the liquid and can be separated through filtration.
X ray crystallography was used to examine the resulting solids and confirm that the target metals had been incorporated into the diamide structures.
Lithium Universe Chief Executive Officer Iggy Tan said:
“In simple terms, we can potentially change the chemistry and change what the ligand catches.”
Gallium is used in semiconductors, integrated circuits, LEDs, laser diodes, power electronics, radio frequency electronics, telecommunications equipment, satellites, advanced computers and defence applications.
The announcement estimates the global gallium market at approximately US$1bn annually, with gallium valued at around US$237/kg.
Individual electronic chips can contain approximately 0.9 mg to 1.3 mg of gallium, while research cited in the announcement has demonstrated that concentrated e waste fractions can contain up to 35% gallium, and the United States includes gallium on its 2025 Critical Minerals List.
Platinum is used in catalysts, electronics, chemical and petroleum processing, medical applications and emerging hydrogen technologies.
The global platinum market is valued at approximately US$9bn annually, with platinum valued at around US$1,780/oz.
Published studies cited in the announcement report approximately 14 g/t platinum in discarded mobile phone circuit boards, while some circuit boards have been reported to contain up to 40 g/t.
Platinum is also included on the United States 2025 Critical Minerals List, while global supply is highly concentrated, with South Africa dominating world platinum mine capacity.
The reported work remains at the laboratory stage, with further test work, process development and scale up required to determine whether the chemistry can form part of a commercially viable e waste recovery process.