ANTOINE ALLANORE
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ELECTROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING FOR SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS EXTRACTION: THE PROMISES AND CHALLENGES OF MOLTEN ELECTROLYTES

Abstract

Existing mining and metals extraction processes have been devised at a time of limited environmental awareness, and have become the main contributor of industry-related GHG emissions in developed countries. In that context, innovative techniques have to be devised, in particular those that can integrate into the future C-free electricity grid, as well as sustain high productivity and lower capital costs. In that context, electrochemical techniques are foreseen as particularly promising, following the track record of the 20th century.

Following an electrochemical engineering method demonstrated for optimal energy consumption in electrolysis, the author’s laboratory is investigating the fundamental science and engineering of the molten state, e.g. oxides or sulfides, and their possible use as an alternative medium for electrochemistry. Molten compounds indeed offer unusual physical and chemical features, that need to be engineered for metals and minerals separation and extraction. The effort seeks to provide an empirical and predictive insight into molten compounds properties, ultimately to to allow the design of electrolytes, electrodes, and electrolysis devices for various metals and minerals. The presentation will, after a brief overview of the specificities of the molten state of compounds, more specifically present some of the progresses reported in molten oxides, for example on oxygen chemistry and metals oxidation at 1600°C for iron production, as well as recent results for other elements, e.g. rare-earth or potassium.

ANTOINE ALLANORE received his higher education in Nancy (France) where he earned a chemical process engineer diploma from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Chimiques and an M.Sc and PhD from Lorraine University. Dr. Allanore joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) in 2010 as a postdoctoral, after several years of service as a research engineer for ArcelorMittal. In 2012, he was appointed the T.B. King Assistant Professor of Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at MIT, where his research group aims at developing sustainable materials extraction and manufacturing processes. In particular, his laboratory investigates the electrochemical properties of metals and molten compounds, e.g. oxides and sulfides. He teaches thermodynamics and sustainable chemical metallurgy at both the undergraduate and graduate level. He received the Vittorio de Nora Award from TMS in 2012, recognizing outstanding materials science research and development contributions to the reduction of environmental impacts focused on extractive processing. He has been chosen as the recipient of a TMS Early Career Faculty Award for 2015.

For more info: www.chem-eng.utoronto.ca/news.htm

Websites of Interest

• University of Toronto
• Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
• Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry