Australia-based metal recovery developer MTM Critical Metals said it recovered high-grade antimony from e-waste using its proprietary flash joule heating (FJH) technology.
Antimony is among the metals that MTM plans to target for extraction as it scales up operations in the US. The company has yet to make final determinations about which metals it will commercially pursue, with the company telling Argus it will "seek to extract the most valuable" of those contained in printed circuit boards and other e-waste.
MTM secured a pre-permitted demonstration site in Texas in May. The company expects to complete commissioning of the plant by December and commence commercial production in 2026. The company initially announced plans for its US gallium recycling plant last year.
To date, the company has long-term agreements totaling 1,100t/yr of e-waste feedstock for processing — including a five-year, 700t/yr e-scrap feedstock deal with Dynamic Lifecycle.
The company also aims to receive government funding to support the project, according to MTM chief executive Michael Walshe.
Previous testing of the FJH technology at Texas' Rice University primarily targeted recovering gallium, among other metals, from synthesized LED manufacturing scrap by rapidly heating the mixture in a controlled chlorine atmosphere, producing gallium with high purity and yield.
Flash Metals USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTM, exclusively owns the rights to the technology.
Antimony, considered a "critical mineral" by the US Geological Survey, is commonly used in flame retardants, military applications and as an alloy with lead to make batteries and cables.
Argus last assessed US antimony prices at $27.10-27.85/lb cif on 10 June, rising 51pc from $18.10-$18.30/lb cif since China suspended antimony exports to the US in December 2024. The US imported 15,665 tonnes (t) of antimony between January 2022 to October 2024, totaling 22pc of its antimony imports.
