Siekierka Lab

Research focus

ERC Starting Grant · 2025

Reverse salinity energy harvesting-assisted electromembrane system for metal ion fractionation and hydrogen production from battery waste

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionised daily life and automation, but recovering them poses challenges due to the toxic, multi-component mixtures produced during acidic leaching. Here, we propose a novel method for selectively fractionating metal ions from battery waste and hydrogen production powered by salinity gradient differences that occur when two solutions with different concentrations are mixed. To achieve this, we employ reverse electrodialysis (RED). The RED process selectively fractionates transition metal ions from battery effluent, including complex and toxic metals like Co, Ni and Mn. It also aims to generate energy by increasing the electrical potential difference…

From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.