Ocean Sciences Ltd
(ASX:OSS)
, a commercial seaweed supplier and research and development firm, has launched a new R&D initiative focused on utilizing alginate derived from Sargassum seaweed to recover precious metals and rare earth elements from decommissioned data centre hardware and other electronic waste. The Board has approved an initial funding allocation of A$100,000 for this project.
Key Points
- The Board has sanctioned an initial A$100,000 budget for the R&D program, expected to span at least 12 months.
- Initial efforts target selective recovery of gold and silver from retired printed circuit boards and electronic components, with rare earth element recovery also under evaluation.
- The program involves a three-stage process: extraction, capture, and recovery of metals using alginate sourced from Indonesian Sargassum seaweed.
- Pending successful lab outcomes, the company plans to pursue pilot-scale trials and potential partnerships with commercial electronic waste processors.
- Ocean Sciences aims to file an initial patent application in Singapore, contingent on intellectual property and patentability reviews.
R&D Program Structure and Funding
The Ocean Sciences Board has approved the R&D program launch along with an initial funding of A$100,000 to facilitate the research activities. The program is projected to last at least 12 months, with progress updates aligned to key technical milestones. The research will explore a three-phase approach: first, extracting and preparing alginate from Indonesian Sargassum seaweed; second, creating an alginate-based material capable of selectively binding gold, silver, and potentially rare earth elements from solutions derived from processed e-waste; and third, developing techniques to release and recover these metals and, where feasible, reuse the alginate material.
Target Materials and Technology Basis
The initiative initially focuses on recovering precious metals from printed circuit boards and other components sourced from servers and related equipment retired during data centre hardware replacement cycles, which typically range from three to seven years depending on equipment and operational needs. Alginate, a natural compound extracted from brown seaweed such as Sargassum, possesses chemical properties that enable binding with certain dissolved metal ions. This approach builds on peer-reviewed scientific research demonstrating alginate-based materials’ potential to capture precious metals in laboratory settings. The R&D will also assess whether these properties can be adapted for selective rare earth element recovery.
Commercialisation Objectives and Intellectual Property
Ocean Sciences aims to develop a proprietary alginate-based metal recovery solution tailored for commercial electronic waste recyclers and metal refiners, while exploring collaborations with data centre operators, e-waste recyclers, and refiners. The company plans to leverage its Indonesian seaweed sourcing network and its Seaweed Innovation and Application Centre in Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi. Additionally, Ocean Sciences is advancing preliminary talks with Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) regarding Sargassum alginate extraction. The company intends to secure intellectual property rights for its proprietary formulations and processes, proposing to file an initial patent application in Singapore.
