Green Chemistry Molecular Recognition Processes Applied to Metal Separations in Ore Beneficiation, Element Recycling, Metal Remediation, and Elemental Analysis

Abstract Application of green chemistry principles to metal separations offers the possibility of markedly reducing generation of waste, process time, operating expenses, and capital expenses associated with these separations. Molecular Recognition Technology ( MRT ) is a highly metal‐selective green chemistry process that is used in a variety of metal separations with marked success. Commercial applications of MRT in the metals industry cover a wide variety of areas, including processing and beneficiation of mined ore, metal recovery from acid mine drainage streams, metal recycling, toxic metal recovery from environmental streams, recovery of radionuclides from nuclear wastes, and preparation of solutions for metal analyses. Examples are provided for the use of MRT in each of these fields. Major aims are to demonstrate that green chemistry processes, such as MRT , are simple in design and are capable of clean chemistry separations in a competitive market. Further development and greater use of green chemistry separations in commercial processes can lead to increased global metal sustainability and improvement in worldwide metal stewardship.