Electrometallurgy is emerging as a critical pillar of modern metal production, driven by global priorities in decarbonization, electrification, and secure critical mineral supply chains. This symposium will highlight recent scientific and industrial advancements in electrochemical extraction, refining, and recycling of metals, with a particular focus on innovations that enable fossil-free and energy-efficient metallurgical operations. Topics will cover the development of advanced electrolytes, improvements in electrochemical cell design, and the expansion of electrometallurgical methods into new metal systems, including oxides, sulfides, and complex secondary resources.
The symposium will also emphasize pathways to recover critical and strategic minerals from electronic waste, batteries, and magnet scrap, showcasing emerging technologies that improve selectivity, scalability, and environmental performance. Additional focus areas include the integration of green hydrogen, CO₂-to-materials electrochemistry, and hybrid flowsheets that pair electrochemical processes with membrane, solvent extraction, or thermal operations.
Environmental and lifecycle considerations remain central to the symposium’s objectives. Contributions addressing off-gas management, electrolyte stability, closed-loop system design, and techno-economic assessment are encouraged. Finally, the symposium seeks to bridge fundamental research with industrial application by examining the challenges of scaling from laboratory experiments to pilot facilities and full industrial deployment. Lessons learned from recent demonstration projects will provide insight into process control, impurity tolerance, modularization, and regulatory constraints.
This symposium aims to define the next generation of electrometallurgical technologies and provide a platform for researchers, industry practitioners, and technology developers to exchange knowledge and accelerate commercialization.
1. Electrometallurgy for decarbonization and the energy transition.
2. Advanced electrolytes and next-generation electrochemical cell designs.
3. Electrochemical extraction of oxides, sulfides, and complex ores.
4. Innovations in inert electrodes, high-amperage systems, and process intensification.
5. Production of high-purity and critical metals for advanced applications.
6. Recovery of strategic elements from e-waste, batteries, and magnet scrap.
7. CO₂-conversion and green-hydrogen-enabled electrochemical reduction pathways.
8. Environmental challenges, lifecycle assessment, and closed-loop process design.
9. Scale-up challenges from lab to pilot to industrial operations.