Possibilities of Critical Raw Materials Recovery by Extracellular Precipitation

Critical raw materials (CRMs) can be defined as materials of which the risks of supply shortage and their impacts on the economy are higher compared to most of other raw materials. The European Commission (EU) has created the three lists of CRMs for the EU (in 2011, 2014 and 2017). To tackle the supply risk challenge, innovation is required with respect to sustainable primary mining, substitution of critical metals, and urban mining. In these three categories, bio-hydrometallurgy can play a crucial role.