Project Pure CuRE brought together Aeramine, Phoenix Scientific Industries (PSI) and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to address the growing demand for high-purity copper.
In brief
Copper is essential to electrification and clean energy, yet traditional recycling often results in a loss of quality. The partners developed a novel process using zone melting and vacuum-inert gas atomisation to convert scrap into ultra-pure copper powder. This enabled a circular manufacturing capability in the UK.
The project reduced emissions, preserved copper’s value and could strengthen critical mineral supply chains for the energy transition.
Rising demand for clean energy materials
Global demand for copper is increasing due to its essential role in renewable energy, electric vehicles and nuclear technologies. However, conventional recycling methods often degrade copper’s quality, limiting its use in advanced applications.
Project Pure CuRE responded by addressing the UK’s overreliance on imported virgin copper. It aimed to establish a secure, sustainable domestic source of high-purity copper by targeting the inefficiencies in existing recycling systems and unlocking the potential of scrap copper as a critical resource.
New process for ultra-pure copper
The Aeramine team. Credit: Aeramine
The project team developed an advanced recycling process combining zone melting and vacuum-inert gas atomisation. This allowed scrap copper, often from cable-grade sources, to be refined to a purity level of over 99.999% (5N).
Aeramine, a UK-based startup, led the project alongside PSI, with support from the Manufacturing Technology Centre. Their process produced copper powder with oxygen content as low as 50 to 100 parts per million (ppm), far below the industry norm of 500ppm.
This innovation preserved the copper’s performance, enabling its reuse in high-tech applications, including:
- semiconductors
- nuclear systems
- energy storage
Supporting resilience and net zero
With copper identified by the International Energy Agency as a potential bottleneck in achieving climate targets, Pure CuRE has offered a UK-based solution. By enabling the production of ultra-pure copper domestically, the project could help reduce dependence on overseas supply and enhance national resilience.
This aligns with the UK’s ambition to achieve net zero by securing reliable access to materials essential for the green transition. The project’s outcomes also laid foundations for broader critical mineral recovery and refinement within the UK.
Neil Witten, Innovation Lead for Advanced Materials at Innovate UK, said:
What Aeramine and its partners have achieved is remarkable. They have demonstrated an economic and sustainable approach to consolidating waste copper, purifying and then atomising it to an ultra-high purity copper product.
Strategic funding and support from Innovate UK continues to enable sustainable manufacturing and the growth of secondary markets for a range of technology metals.
About the funding
The project received funding through Innovate UK under the Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing competition. Innovate UK supported the partners not just financially, but through specialist advice, training and strategic connections.
Alex Lapis, Managing Director and co-founder of Aeramine. Credit: Aeramine
Alex Lapis, Managing Director and co-founder of Aeramine, said:
None of this would have been possible were it not for Innovate UK’s help. And not just money: they have support lines; we have an innovation and growth specialist who helps us along the way.
They provided training in fundraising and as a result, we were deemed investable last year. We’ve attended conferences and Innovate UK has put us in touch with various industry partners, like Jaguar Land Rover, that are looking to make their supply chain more resilient.
Top image: In demand high-purity copper. Credit: Aeramine