Structure and properties of highly selective and active Advanced Ion Exchange (AIX) materials. Enabling and expanding sustainable metal recovery

Environmental contamination and loss of metal values resulting from wastewater containing transition metal ions is widespread. New composite materials have been developed for the recovery and purification of precious and base metals from Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacture, Platinum Group Metals (PGM) refining, base metal mining and metal processing industries. The manufacture of these materials is based on grafting active adsorption sites on the outer surfaces and large pores of silica, or attaching polymeric chains of active adsorption sites to non-porous polymer fibres. The advantages the new AIX materials offer over conventional polystyrene resins are discussed.