Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) demonstrates breakthrough silver purity and structural engineering using JESE technology

Lithium Universe Limited has unveiled a technical milestone with the demonstration of 99.88% silver purity through its Jet Electrochemical Silver Extraction process, a result that positions the company at the forefront of emerging photovoltaic recycling technologies.

The advance centres on both purity and structural control, offering a step change in recovery efficiency and potential industrial applications.

Highlights

• Achieved approaching commercial 3N silver purity at 99.88%

• Single step electrochemical silver recovery demonstrated

• Nanostructured silver with uniform ~75 nm grain size

• Preferential (111) crystal growth confirmed by XRD

• High recovery efficiency with low energy consumption

• Eliminates acid leaching and thermal processing

• Positions JESE as a scalable low impact recycling technology

The announcement reflects the culmination of ongoing collaboration around the Jet Electrochemical Silver Extraction technology, which enables silver to be recovered from end of life silicon solar cells using a dynamically controlled reaction interface.

The process renews the reaction surface through high velocity electrolyte flow, ensuring a steady supply of Ag⁺ ions while limiting side reactions and efficiently removing by products as they form.

This establishes a markedly different operating regime from static jet systems or conventional electrolytic baths, which are constrained by diffusion and mass transport limits.

Test work demonstrates that the JESE method consistently delivers measured purities of 99.88%, approaching commercial 3N grade applications used in electronics, optical coatings, and catalytic materials.

The ability to attain this purity in a single electrochemical step avoids multiple downstream refining stages that are typical of hydrometallurgical routes and therefore reduces complexity, operating requirements, and environmental impact.

The company highlights that crystalline control is central to the breakthrough, with X ray diffraction analysis showing that the JESE process promotes preferential growth along the close packed (111) crystallographic plane.

The recovered silver exhibits a dense nanodendritic structure with an average grain size of approximately 75 nm, a sharp contrast to the coarser and less uniform morphologies produced by static jet systems or the larger single crystals that form in traditional bath based processes.

These structural differences contribute to improved electrical conductivity and lower required loadings for use in polymer composites, conductive inks, and flexible electronic components.

Lithium Universe Chairman, Iggy Tan, said:

“This result goes well beyond simply producing high purity silver. It shows that recycling can deliver materials with controlled structure and performance, not just recovered metal. Achieving near commercial purity while controlling crystal growth represents a genuine step forward in both the technical and economic value of secondary metals.”

Energy efficiency also distinguishes the method, with current efficiency reaching 79.6% within the first three minutes of deposition and overall silver recovery of 92.6% across the same time frame.

Unlike routes that rely on concentrated nitric acid, extended processing times, and thermal inputs, the JESE platform operates under mild conditions and removes the need for chemical purification stages.

Lithium Universe frames this achievement as a foundation for a scalable and low impact recycling platform capable of converting discarded solar panels into a renewable supply of silver and related materials.

As the volume of end of life photovoltaic cells continues to build, technologies that combine high recovery, structural precision, and reduced environmental burden are likely to attract increasing industrial interest.

The company has positioned JESE within this context, emphasising its role in developing engineered materials for advanced electronics and manufacturing applications.

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