Sulfidation chemistry for decarbonizing processing and production
Year
2022
Project team
Antoine Allanore with Caspar Stinn
>8%
of global CO2 emissions comes from mineral conversion
50%
of commodity-scale metal production conducted in water-scarce regions
Existing processes
are expensive and energy intensive
Striving to meet sustainability goals
Mineral and metal processing methods present a challenge to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve water. The production processes are carbon-intensive, relying on heat and electricity from fossil fuels. At the same time, materials separation is heavily dependent on water – and most often conducted in water-stressed regions. Sulfur chemistry presents an alternative method that could reduce environmental impact and production costs. Selective conversion of some species feedstock from oxides to sulfides could enable targeted, carbon-free methods of metal production. This project aims to show proof-of-concept with actual feedstock.