Michael Svärd

Michael Svärd is docent (reader / associate professor) in chemical engineering. His main expertise is in the general area of separation processes, with particular focus on crystallization: crystal nucleation, growth, polymorphism and thermodynamics of solid-liquid phase equilibria. He is Swedish representative in the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) Working Party on Crystallization.

Currently active fields of research:

Fundamental, underlying mechanisms of crystal nucleation from solution, with focus on organic compounds. What is the role of solute clusters in the process of nucleation, in particular for the competition between possible crystal phases? Involved in two projects on this topic:

1. CLUSTER (2020-2024) Project manager. This work explores non-classical pathways to primary nucleation of organic molecular crystals from solution, and the role of clusters in solution. The work is financed by Vetenskapsrådet - the Swedish Research Council (grant no. 2019-05059.)

2. SSPC P4 - Crystallization kinetics (2020- ) Associate collaborator. This is a project within the Materials-theme of the Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical research Centre (SSPC) in Ireland. 

Modelling the thermodynamics of solid-liquid phase equilibria (solubility) and the supersaturated state (the driving force for nucleation and growth of crystals) - for simple binary systems, polymorphic systems and multi-component (co-crystal) systems. Semi-empirical models for the ideal solubility and activity coefficients in solutions at saturation and supersaturation are developed based on experimental calorimetric and solubility data.

Hydrometallurgical separation and recovery of metals. This umbrella covers various projects aimed towards sustainable resource recovery. All these projects are carried out in collaboration with Kerstin Forsberg.

1. REEDESign (2023-2026) Project manager. This project looks at separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REE), notably neodymium, from permanent magnet scrap and EoL waste, using novel green solvents of the family known as deep eutectic solvents (DES). From the DES leach liquors the metals will be recovered by crystallization. Funded by Formas (grant no. 2022-01452.)

2. REEform (2020-2023) Project manager. This project explores separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REE), notably neodymium, using extraction chromatography and antisolvent crystallization. Waste sources targeted include NdFeB magnets, NiMH batteries or mining waste. Funded by Formas (grant no. 2019-01150.)

3. Dyscovery (2022-2024) Managing KTHs part of the project. This is a EIT Raw Materials funded collaboration upscaling project on the recycling of permanent NdFeB and SmCo magnets. At KTH we will study separation and recovery of rare earth elements such as neodymium by hydrometallurgical methods, including extraction chromatography, solvent extraction and crystallization/precipitation. 

4. CICERO (2024- ) This is a newly started HORIZON EUROPE project with several European universities and industries. The objective is to develop the principles for green processing and refining of Co, Ni and Mn from mining waste based on sustainable solvometallurgy. 

4. Valore (2022-2024) This is a EIT Raw Materials funded collaboration upscaling project on the recovery of vanadium (V) and gallium (Ga) as by-products from an alumina refinery. At KTH we will study separation and recovery of V by crystallization.

5. ANTISOLVO (2021-2023) Work package leader. A collaboration project involving KTH, KU Leuven, Belgium, and Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia. The work includes exploring antisolvent precipitation of rare earth elements from leach solutions of spent NdFeB magnets. Funded by ERA-MIN2.

6. Green recycling of battery materials by deep eutectic solvents (2020-2022), a collaboration project together with Reza Younesi at Uppsala University. Funded by STEM - The Swedish Energy Agency. The project was recently granted additional funding through 2023.

7. SCALE (2016-2021) An EU-funded collaboration project involving a PhD student at KTH investigating recovery of scandium by crystallization. This project will go on through the recently startedScale-Up project, funded by EIT Raw Materials.

8. Eutectic Freeze Crystallization (EFC) related projects. In the PERLI (2019-2021) project, we have been investigating EFC as an energy-saving technique for recovery of metals (Co, Ni and Mn) from spent Li-ion batteries. The PERLI project was funded by STEM - The Swedish Energy Agency. Another project specifically targeting EFC, funded by Formas, started in 2021. The work on EFC is carried out in collaboration with the Crystallization and Precipitation Unit at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.