Winner! Mining Technology Awards

DEScycle is proud to announce that it has been recognized with two major awards in the 2025 Mining Technology Excellence Awards:

• Research and Development (Hydrometallurgical Innovation)
• Environmental (Circular Decarbonization)

These honors highlight DEScycle’s leadership in advancing Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) technology from academic research to pilot-scale industrial reality, and our contribution to building a cleaner, closed-loop metal recycling system.

Scaling DES Ionometallurgy from Lab to Pilot

DEScycle has successfully transitioned DES-based ionometallurgy from laboratory trials to continuous pilot operation. Our engineered flowsheet integrates low-temperature selective dissolution, solvent regeneration, and closed-loop recycling all under ambient pressure.

During a 10-week continuous pilot campaign, DEScycle achieved over 99% recovery of copper, gold, silver, and palladium within minutes at 50–80°C. Through iterative process optimization, leach times were reduced from six hours to approximately 15 minutes while maintaining exceptional yields, a testament to rigorous engineering and disciplined innovation.

To reach this point, our team overcame materials-of-construction challenges, demonstrated stable kinetics and solvent recovery, and advanced the technology to TRL6. DEScycle now holds patent protection for its recovery process and is backed by £11 million in Series A funding and a €5 million EU Horizon grant to support scale-up.

Our modular, capital-light design enables deployment alongside upstream recyclers allowing local processing near collection points, reducing transportation emissions, and minimizing dependence on centralized smelting infrastructure.

A Versatile Platform Across Critical Feedstocks

DEScycle’s platform is adaptable across a wide range of feedstocks beyond printed circuit boards, including:

• Lithium-ion battery black mass
• Rare earth magnets
• Photovoltaic panels
• Complex primary ores and concentrates — such as copper sulfides and oxides, nickel laterites, and rare earth materials

By positioning DES as multi-feedstock multi-metal ionometallurgical platform, we can fine-tune solvent systems for selective recovery of different metals — opening pathways across the critical raw materials landscape.

Strategic relationships with Cisco and Mitsubishi reinforce the industrial relevance of our approach. The first DEScycle demonstration plant in Teesside, targeted for commissioning in Q1 2026, will advance the technology to TRL7 and mark the next step toward commercial readiness.

Delivering Measured Circular Decarbonization

Operating at low temperatures and ambient pressure, DEScycle’s process enables up to a 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared with conventional smelting. It avoids the airborne particulates typical of high-temperature routes and eliminates hazardous liquid effluents.

Solvents are recycled in situ, and process water is recovered and reused, reinforcing the closed-loop nature of our system. All outputs are valorized, from high-purity recovered metals and reusable salts to secondary materials like plastics and glass, which are redirected to appropriate recyclers.

Our modular, co-located processing units can be deployed near waste collection and pre-processing sites, helping to reduce transport emissions, streamline permitting, and improve community acceptance.

Aligned with Policy and Regulatory Priorities

DEScycle’s process avoids hazardous acids, cyanide, and high-temperature steps. It is REACH- and RoHS-compatible, with Environment Agency permitting underway. By reducing neutralization requirements and eliminating toxic gas risks, our technology de-risks deployment for operators and regulators alike.

The planned Teesside demonstration plant will create skilled local jobs and serve as a blueprint for UK & international expansion, supporting UK and EU policy objectives around the circular economy and critical raw materials security.

Building a Cleaner, Resilient Metal Supply Chain

These awards underscore the dedication of the DEScycle team, the strength of our industrial partnerships, and the readiness of DES-based ionometallurgy to deliver real-world impact.

As we move toward commissioning our Teesside demonstration plant, we remain focused on accelerating the global transition to cleaner, local, and more resilient metal supply chains.