Livium has signed a term sheet with the University of Melbourne to support development of Australia’s first prototype microwave reactor for rare earth element (REE) extraction, aiming to secure exclusive global commercial rights to the technology for the next 20 years.
The prototype represents a key step in Livium’s efforts to expand its rare earth recycling capabilities. Laboratory testing of the microwave-based process has shown promising recovery rates – over 95 percent for Neodymium and more than 80 percent for Praseodymium – while potentially reducing energy use and chemical consumption compared to conventional methods.
Developed by the University of Melbourne, the technology uses selective leaching to recover valuable materials from end-of-life products such as magnets and motors. It is designed to lower energy consumption by up to 85 percent relative to traditional thermal processing, while also reducing acid use and wastewater.
Livium will provide feedstock and technical input for the research project, committing initial funding of $65,000 with the possibility of increasing to $250,000 contingent on milestone achievements. A grant application has also been submitted to Australia’s Economic Accelerator Ignite program.
The parties are progressing towards a binding intellectual property licensing agreement, which if executed, would grant Livium exclusive commercialisation rights worldwide.
Livium chief executive officer Simon Linge said the collaboration fits within the company’s broader strategy to enhance its recycling portfolio across critical minerals.
“Our core competencies are the safe collection and pre-processing of e-waste and many of our current and emerging lithium-ion battery customers are exposed to REE waste,” Linge said.
“Initially, this allows us to secure the waste stream either directly to customers or for processing through technology.
“Securing exclusive access to this REE technology will allow us to expand our commercial offering, further cementing our leadership in resource recovery and process innovation.”
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