Critical Material Separation

This research focuses on the extraction of critical metals, such as vanadium, from shale and other mineral sources, utilizing high-frequency microwave radiation to enhance the process, followed by leaching with various extracting solutions. The studies aim to evaluate the efficiency of metal extraction and isolation, particularly for technologically important elements, by analyzing the effects of microwave parameters such as power input and exposure time. This line of research seeks to optimize separation techniques by leveraging the unique thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave processing, improving both yield and energy efficiency in the recovery of critical resources.