Upcycled pectin side streams for selective critical metal recovery

Overview

SylvitaTech is developing a technology platform that upcycles wet fibrous side streams from pectin production into highly functionalized bio-based sorbents for sustainable recovery of precious metals and rare earth elements (REE). Instead of isolating cellulose, pectin, or protein fractions, the whole biomass is converted through a proprietary chemical functionalization that introduces a high density of metal-binding chelating groups while preserving the inherent fibrous scaffold.

The primary application is selective gold recovery from acidic e-waste leachates. The functionalized sorbents capture gold complexes through simultaneous electrostatic adsorption and reduction, generating gold nanoparticles on the fiber surface. The same chemical platform can be adjusted to target palladium and rare earth elements, offering a flexible solution for critical mineral recovery and a commercial, non-food use for an otherwise low-value wet residue.

Technical specifications

How it works:

• Whole pectin-processing biomass is functionalized using a proprietary aqueous chemistry, avoiding energy-intensive component separation.
• The developed chelating chemistry is based on a stereospecific functionalization approach previously validated for selective metal recovery.
• Gold complexes are captured by electrostatic attraction and reduced in place, forming gold nanoparticles on the fiber surface.
• Variant chemistries can be introduced to target palladium and light/heavy rare earth elements.
• Sorbents can be produced directly from naturally acidic spent-peel residues, with minimal pretreatment.

Key features and benefits:

• High selectivity for gold, palladium, and REEs in complex acidic e-waste leachates
• Rapid metal capture demonstrated by fast reaction kinetics
• High uptake capacity for palladium and rare earth elements
• Suitable for packed-bed or stirred-contact processing scale-ups
• Renewable, low-cost, widely available feedstock
• Reduced consumer waste with a valuable end product

Technology readiness level

The platform builds on validated sustainable metal recovery chemistries already demonstrated on complex e-waste leachates. The current work focuses on adapting this chemistry to pectin-production side stream feedstock under a phased validation plan: feedstock characterization, functionalization optimization, performance testing with representative e-waste leachates, optional REE validation, and kg-scale batch production. The core functionalization and recovery mechanisms are established; the remaining development aligns to feedstock variability, process economics, and pilot-scale performance. As such, the technology is at an early- to mid-stage development level, ready for sponsored research, co-development, and pilot-trial engagements.