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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
A team of six researchers from the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) has reached the first round of the current SPRIND Tech Metal Transformation Challenge. This secures the HIF team, which is part of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), more than one million euros in funding from the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) for the coming year. The young team will then test and further develop the proposed process for recovering technology metals from electronic waste in order to reach the next stage of the three-stage innovation competition if the evaluation is positive.
Raw materials are an integral part of our everyday lives. Critical raw materials such as rare-earth elements, tantalum, and gallium are found in many high-tech products we use on a daily basis. Demand is high, while access remains limited. Existing supply chains are often threatened by geopolitical conflicts, making recycling an essential solution. At present, however, the recycling rates for many so-called high-tech metals are very low. This is particularly true for the recycling of electronic waste, of which more than five million tons are generated in the EU alone each year. However, only small quantities of critical raw materials are returned to the cycle. In most cases, the lack of efficiency can be attributed to missing or economically unviable technologies.
WEEEfficient – Tress-stage recycling process
The six-member team at HIF has taken on this challenge and developed a three-stage process that combines various methods. "Electronic waste is first shredded so that its components can then be sorted. This allows us to separate plastics from metals to a large extent. We then apply flotation. In this process, gas bubbles are added to a liquid containing finely ground particles so that the bubbles adhere to particles with a water-repellent surface. These rise to the top with the attached air bubbles and form a froth layer that can be skimmed off. The reagents used in this process are biodegradable and therefore environmentally friendly. In this way, we efficiently concentrate metals such as gold, copper, tin, or palladium," explains Ali Hassan, doctoral student at HIF and head of the team, describing the first two stages of the process.
The third stage involves a technology developed at HIF and currently awaiting patent approval called MAGSEL. It is a novel magnetic separation process designed primarily for the recycling of critical raw materials such as rare-earth elements. “Our process is not only highly selective and adaptable to different material flows, but also environmentally friendly, as it operates without toxic chemicals and is energy-efficient,” Hassan emphasizes. This is also reflected in the name of the team, WEEEfficient: WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and efficient.
SPRIND Tech Metal Transformation Challenge
With the call “Hello, innovators! We need groundbreaking processes for recovering critical metals from complex waste streams. We need bold ideas. We need you,” the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation SPRIND launched its challenge in early August 2025. A jury of globally recognized experts is supporting SPRIND in evaluating the applications and, in December 2025, selected eight teams from more than 60 submissions to participate in stage one, including the HIF's WEEEfficient team. Over the coming year, the team will test and refine its process in order to advance to the next stage of the three-stage challenge. After each year-long stage, the jury will review the interim results and evaluate which teams show the greatest potential for breakthrough innovation and are therefore eligible for continued funding.
“Developing an integrated prototyping system that transforms the metal content of at least two complex electronic waste products into functional, marketable metal products is a challenge that is tailor-made for HIF's research. With Ali Hassan from Pakistan, Zahra Nourizenouz from Iran, Himanshu Kachroo and Lakshmi Kanth Viswamsetty from India, and Emma Pustlauk and Dominic Illing from Germany, we have a very international team that has developed a convincing overall concept. We are very proud of the young team's success," says HIF Institute Director Prof. Jens Gutzmer, clearly impressed.
"The SPRIND Challenge is a very demanding innovation competition. The success of this young team is therefore a remarkable achievement,“ says Prof. Sebastian M. Schmidt, Scientific Director of HZDR. ”Within a very short period of time, the team presented an outstanding concept that prevailed against strong international competition. This proves not only the innovative strength of the young scientists at HZDR, but also the pioneering technology research being conducted for the benefit of our society."
About SPRIND
In order to promote innovative ideas and further development in Germany, the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, SPRIND for short, was established in Leipzig in December 2019. The acronym SPRIND stands for Sprunginnovationen in Deutschland (Breakthrough innovations in Germany). The agency is a fast and flexible public funding tool with the Federal Government as the sole shareholder. www.sprind.org
Ali Hassan | Department Processing
Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology at HZDR
Email: a.hassan@hzdr.de
The SPRIND team WEEEefficient: Emma Pustlauk, Alli Hassen (above), Himanshu Kachroo (below), Lakshmi ...
Copyright: SPRIND/HDZR (Fotomontage KI-generiert)
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The SPRIND team WEEEefficient: Emma Pustlauk, Alli Hassen (above), Himanshu Kachroo (below), Lakshmi ...
Copyright: SPRIND/HDZR (Fotomontage KI-generiert)
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