RZOLVing Rare Earth Separation with Alkemio - Metal Tech News
- Shane Lasley - Metaltech News
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Metal Tech News - July 27, 2026
Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News | Last updated Aug 07, 2026 4:17pm0
Canadian and Argentine company sign LOI to investigate the integration of leaching and recovery technologies into a single solution for critical minerals recovery.
RZOLV Technologies Inc. and Alkemio Bioscience Corp. have signed a letter of intent to evaluate whether RZOLV's hydrometallurgical leaching platform can be paired with Alkemio's molecular-recognition separation technology in a modular process for recovering rare earths and other critical minerals from complex feedstocks.
Based in Canada, RZOLV is developing a cleaner and more efficient hydrometallurgical process for leaching metals into solution. The company has demonstrated its RZOLV technology as a potentially cost-effective and more sustainable alternative to cyanide for leaching gold and other metals from a variety of feedstocks.
"RZOLV's proprietary hydrometallurgical platform is designed to unlock and mobilize metals from complex feedstocks, optimize extraction performance, and generate stable process solutions for downstream recovery," said RZOLV President and CEO Duane Nelson.
More recent preliminary testing demonstrates that RZOLV's standard, unoptimized gold-leaching formulation is capable of dissolving rare earths and associated critical minerals into a solution. Based on these early results, the company sees the potential to optimize the formula for rare earths.
Argentina-based Alkemio is developing a modular recognition technology that selectively captures rare earths and other critical minerals out of solution. Though still in the early stages of development and commercialization, Alkemio's compact and modular platform has demonstrated the ability to recover up to 87% of the rare earths from solution in controlled laboratory conditions.
Under the letter of intent, RZOLV and Alkemio will investigate the potential to combine their technologies into a modular platform capable of dissolving targeted rare earths and critical minerals into solution, and then selectively recovering, separating, and upgrading them into higher-purity products.
"Combining RZOLV's extraction platform with Alkemio's molecular-recognition technology creates an opportunity to evaluate integrated solutions for selected feedstocks and build a disciplined pathway toward joint development and commercialization," said Alkemio CEO Angel Centeno.
The successful integration of the two companies' technologies into a single platform could provide a sustainable and cost-effective solution to one of the most technically challenging segments of rare earth supply chains: the processing and separation of high-purity elements for electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, defense systems, and other advanced technologies.
If initial testing produces positive results, RZOLV and Alkemio plan to expand their initial exploratory agreement into a more enduring partnership.
"Together, we intend to evaluate a more complete modular platform and, if supported by the results, advance toward project-specific pilots, licensing, and commercial deployment," said Nelson.
Author Bio
Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News
With more than 18 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration, and technology metals.
Email: publisher@metaltechnews.com
Phone: 907-726-1095
Comments