The cooperation between VTT and ETF, an Atomic Energy Agency spin-off company, aims at accelerating Europe's transition toward a sustainable circular economy. The focus is on extracting critical raw materials from lithium-ion batteries and industrial by-products, as well as removing and recovering PFAS compounds.
VTT and Emulsion Flow Technologies Ltd. (EFT), a Japanese innovator in separation and recovery technologies, announce the commencement of discussions to assess and validate EFT’s proprietary technologies for European resource and environmental challenges.
The collaboration focuses on recovering rare metals from lithium-ion batteries, extracting rare earth elements from industrial by-products and addressing PFAS contamination. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of human-made chemicals widely used for their water-, grease- and stain-resistant properties. They are persistent in the environment and linked to significant health and ecological risks.
In Europe, governments and industries are moving quickly to address decarbonisation, expand resource recycling and strengthen controls on hazardous chemical substances. These trends are driven by both regulatory action and market demand.
In strategic sectors such as the battery industry, reliable access to rare metals and rare earth elements, along with effective responses to environmental contaminants such as PFAS, has become essential to maintaining industrial competitiveness and long-term sustainability.
Separation and recovery solutions to answer Europe’s key industrial and environmental challenges
EFT has been developing and deploying separation and recovery technologies for several critical applications, including the recovery of rare metals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, the extraction of rare earth elements from industrial by-products, and the removal and recovery of organofluorine compounds such as PFAS. These technologies are based on EFT’s proprietary “Emulsion Flow” separation method, originally developed through nuclear research and since applied to resource and environmental challenges facing industry.
"We’re pleased to begin discussions with Emulsion Flow Technologies to validate and adapt its separation and recovery solutions for European conditions. VTT will support the company’s scale-up and market entry with applied R&D, and Finland offers a strong soft-landing base with world-class research infrastructure and access to European partners and customers,” says Antti Arasto, Vice President, VTT.
Based on these discussions, VTT and EFT will collaborate to examine opportunities for demonstration projects and phased deployment of technologies addressing key industrial and environmental challenges in Europe.
"The discussions with VTT serve as an initial step to validate EFT’s technologies within the EU’s regulatory and industrial landscape and to establish a foundation for future collaboration with European partners. Through this dialogue, EFT aims to systematically evaluate pathways toward practical deployment and long-term implementation in Europe,” says Hiroshi Suzuki, CEO, EFT.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner for businesses and society and one of Europe's leading research organisations. We bring together people, businesses, science and technology to solve the world’s biggest challenges and create sustainable growth, jobs and well-being. Thinking beyond the obvious, we unlock new solutions.
VTT – beyond the obvious
EFT - Emulsion Flow Technologies
EFT, established in 2021 as a spin-off from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, specialises in solvent-based separation and recovery technologies. EFT is dedicated to building sustainable industrial and environmental systems for rare metal and rare earth recycling, as well as PFAS recovery.
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Metals and materials recovery
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Case: Elcogen – Solid oxide technology advances green transition
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