A scalable method for recovering molybdenum from end-of-life catalysts

Global molybdenum supply is heavily dependent on mining in China and Russia; researchers at Luleå University of Technology have demonstrated an integrated hydrometallurgical process to recover molybdenum from spent iron‑molybdate catalysts. The method uses less energy and fewer processing steps than conventional routes and is positioned as a scalable pathway to more localized, circular Mo supply from end‑of‑life catalysts.

What barriers (technical, economic, or regulatory) are most likely to limit rapid deployment of this recycling approach, and where could it be piloted first?