Hydrometallurgical Extraction and Recycling of Lithium, Iron, and Copper
This community focuses on the chemical separation, purification, and recovery of critical metals—primarily lithium, iron, and copper—from ores, industrial slag, and spent lithium-ion batteries.
The work centers on hydrometallurgical processes, specifically acid leaching, solvent extraction, and flotation, to isolate valuable metals from complex matrices. A significant portion of the research addresses the circular economy, detailing methods for recovering lithium, nickel, and copper from end-of-life battery packs and printed circuit boards. The community also investigates alternative extraction media, such as deep eutectic solvents, as replacements for conventional sulfuric acid. Life cycle assessment is a recurring methodological framework, used to evaluate the environmental footprint and resource efficiency of these extraction and recycling pathways compared to primary mining.
The largest share of the community's output is found in lithium research, accounting for 4.7% of all lithium studies, followed by copper at 3.6% and iron at 3.5%. Iron contributes the highest absolute number of papers within this group, with 13,070 entries, while lithium follows with 10,668.
The community comprises 72,654 papers, published predominantly in Minerals Engineering, Hydrometallurgy, and Separation and Purification Technology.
Recent work continues to refine selective separation techniques, including the development of polyamide membranes for lithium extraction from brines and the regeneration of degraded lithium-ion battery cathodes.