Chemistry for a Sustainable Future
Circularity of Critical Materials
Members: Andy Abbott, Sandy Kilpatrick, Karl Ryder, Jake Yang.
The achievement of Net Zero targets is intrinsically related to the development of new energy solutions and a more holistic approach towards materials design and the use of critical resources, in line with the principles of Circular Economy. Our world-leading teams based in the Centre for Sustainable Materials Processing work at the cutting-edge of modern technological developments in sustainable materials and applications in a variety of sectors (e.g. manufacturing, energy, forensics), including world-leading work on battery technology, recycling methods for critical materials, new composite materials and biopolymers, and much more.
It is essential that resources like lithium, rare earth elements, platinum group metals, nickel and cobalt are reused and recycled instead of being wasted. This approach reduces dependence on finite raw materials, strengthens supply chains, and minimises environmental damage. In a world driven by clean energy and advanced technology, circularity and design-for-recycle are keys to achieving a sustainable and resilient future.