Metal recovery technology development company MTM Critical Metals (ASX: MTM) has commenced detailed mechanical and process design of the 1 TPD Flash Joule Heating (FJH) demonstration plant.
Flash Joule Heating (FJH) is an advanced electrothermal process that enhances metal recovery and mineral processing compared to traditional methods. By rapidly heating materials in a controlled atmosphere, FJH efficiently extracts metals like lithium from spodumene, gallium from scrap, and gold from e-waste, among others. This technology has the potential to revolutionise metal recovery by reducing energy consumption, reagent use, and waste, offering a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative.
The company has also revealed it is expecting construction to start in 1Q 2025, with commercial operation targeted by 2Q 2025.
In an interim update on the design and implementation of the demonstration plant it revealed that the dsetailed mechanical and process design work is being undertaken by KnightHawk Engineering, a firm selected for its expertise across a range of engineering disciplines and experience with heat transfer equipment. KnightHawk was founded in 1991 and has a rich history of scaling-up innovative technology swiftly, with a client roster that includes industry giants such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and NASA.
The 1 TPD demonstration plant is a critical milestone in proving the commercial viability of FJH technology, which has attracted strong interest from parties seeking to secure supply of strategic and critical metals, as well as those interested in more economical and efficient methods of metals recovery and mineral processing. The ultimate goal of MTM’s FJH technology commercialisation is to produce critical metals with lower carbon emissions, significantly reduced energy consumption, and substantially lower costs.
“The progress on our demonstration plant marks a significant step forward in the commercialisation pathway for the FJH technology. The strong interest from strategic partners & governmental agencies underscores the critical need for reliable strategic metal supplies and the adoption of innovative, efficient, and environmentally sustainable solutions. We remain committed to driving this project forward on schedule and are excited about the transformative potential it holds for the industry and our shareholders," CEO, Michael Walshe, said.
Drawing on the groundbreaking FJH research conducted at Rice University, KnightHawk Engineering is focused on scaling up the flashing process for a diverse range of feedstocks, including semiconductor scrap for gallium recovery, e-waste for the extraction of gold and other valuable metals, spodumene for lithium, and spent lithium- ion batteries (black mass).
KnightHawk has successfully scaled the FJH process by approximately 100x during the prototype testing phase compared to lab testing thus far, covering a range of target metals including lithium and rare earth elements (REEs). The design phase is advancing well, incorporating insights from ongoing prototype testing.
The conceptual design of the Demonstration Plant includes multiple parallel process trains, each equipped with its own material handling system. The plant is designed for versatility, allowing for the processing of a wide range of feedstocks to recover critical metals. Central to the process is a downstream water-washing unit that leverages the solubility of metal chlorides to produce concentrated brines of target metals. Design work is looking to address, amongst other things, continuous material processing via a semi-batch management system, power control, atmosphere gas handling and metal isolation systems.
Flash Joule Heating (FJH) is an advanced electrothermal process that enhances metal recovery and mineral processing compared to traditional methods. By rapidly heating materials in a controlled atmosphere, FJH efficiently extracts metals like lithium from spodumene, gallium from scrap, and gold from e-waste, among others. This technology has the potential to revolutionise metal recovery by reducing energy consumption, reagent use, and waste, offering a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative.
