REVIEW article
Front. Membr. Sci. Technol.
Sec. Membrane Modules and Processes
Membrane-based Extraction of Critical Materials from Spent Battery and Other Mineral Wastes
Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Abstract
The growing demand for critical materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics has intensified the need for sustainable recovery strategies. Spent lithium-ion batteries, mineral tailings, and industrial by-products represent valuable secondary resources that can support circular economy objectives. However, conventional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes are energy-intensive, chemically demanding, and often generate significant secondary waste, including sludge and saline effluents. Membrane-based separation technologies have emerged as promising alternatives due to their modular design, lower energy requirements, and potential for selective metal recovery. Pressure-driven processes, including ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO), as well as electro-driven systems such as electrodialysis (ED), enable target separations (e.g., Li/Mg, Co/Ni, Li/Co-Ni-Mn) through size exclusion, charge-based selectivity, and ion-membrane interactions. Nevertheless, membrane performance in realistic leachates characterized by low pH, high ionic strength, oxidants, and complex metal speciation is strongly governed by chemistry-driven failure modes. These include inorganic scaling (e.g., gypsum and silica), metal hydroxide precipitation, colloidal and organic fouling, redox-induced instability, and polymer degradation, which collectively contribute to flux decline, selectivity loss, and reduced membrane lifetime. This review critically evaluates membrane applications for battery and mineral waste valorization, linking dominant failure mechanisms to solution chemistry and long-term stability. Techno-economic considerations are discussed using normalized metrics (kWh/m3, kWh/kg metal, $/kg product), highlighting conditions under which membranes can become cost-competitive with conventional extraction routes.
Summary
Keywords
fouling, Membrane technology, Mine tailings, resource recovery, Spent batteries
Received
12 December 2025
Accepted
13 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Matebese, Raseala and Moutloali. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Funeka Matebese; Mabore Jerida Raseala
Disclaimer
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