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Valor aims to lower costs, time for refining critical

minerals

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Valor's tech uses ligands to selectively bind metals

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Valor plans demo plant, full production in two to three

years

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Technology developed by University of Illinois scientists

By Ernest Scheyder

Sept 8 (Reuters) - The former head of Glencore's ( GLCNF )

recycling business is launching a U.S.-based metals

processing company with the goal of lowering the cost and time

to refine copper and other critical minerals.

The move comes amid increased pressure on industry from

Washington and other governments for better processing options

to boost the supply of minerals for artificial intelligence

computer servers, weapons and other electronics. The U.S.

processes very few critical minerals. China is the top processor

of many.

Kunal Sinha left Glencore ( GLCNF ) last Friday after nearly 14 years

in various roles, most recently as head of the recycling

division. On Monday, he formed the New York-based processing

startup Valor with technology developed by the University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Valor's technology uses ligands - a type of molecule - to bind

to a metal when placed in a solution and an electric current is

applied. For instance, the ligand could be programmed to bind to

copper or rare earths and not nickel.

The technology can in theory be used to extract a range of

metals from hard rock mines, recycled batteries or deep-sea

nodules, and it could be at least ten times cheaper and faster

than traditional processing methods without producing any waste,

Sinha said, although it needs to be tested on a larger scale.

Sinha said he left Glencore ( GLCNF ) partly drawn by the appeal of

starting his own company.

"There is a lot of value to be created by improving (minerals)

processing in the West," said Sinha, 44, who is also an advisor

to rare earth magnet startup REalloys and an investor in

magnesium processing startup Magrathea.

The company is launching a fundraising push with the goal of

developing a demonstration plant in Massachusetts or New York.

Full commercial production of at least five metals is expected

within two to three years, Sinha said.

Glencore ( GLCNF ) declined to comment.