Research interest

End-of-Life products containing noble metals, for instance, gold and silver in electronic waste, are an invaluable waste stream and often the driving force of the recycling cost structure. Currently, noble metals recycling relies on a centralized collection/ recovery structure hinging on the use of large integrated smelters.

In my work I investigate an alternative decentralized recycling concept based on the transient oxidation/reduction dissolution of noble metals. Since this approach is very new, parameters affecting the leaching yield, such as extent and rate of oxidation/reduction, oxidation and reduction agents, complexing/chelating agents are not optimized yet. My thesis focuses on identifying the most optimal leaching parameters and development of recycling procedure for gold and silver and platinum group metals (PGM).

Academic Development

• 2019 – 2020: Student Internship at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH-(HI ERN) (Erlangen, Germany)
• 2017-2019: Student Internship at National Institute of Chemistry (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
• 2016 – 2020: Master of Chemical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
  Master thesis: Rotating disc electrode as a method for measuring the activity and stability of iridium-based oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts

• 2010 – 2016: Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry Chemical Technology (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
  Bachelor thesis: Analysis of the microstructure of composite anode material for medium-temperature ceramic fuel cells