IRCP’s expertise in tantalum chemistry recognized with the Ekeberg Prize
Researchers from the Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP, Chimie ParisTech-PSL/CNRS) have been awarded the prestigious 2025 Ekeberg Prize by the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center. Their work paves the way for an unprecedented recovery of tantalum from electronic waste, a strategic challenge for the aerospace and medical industries.
An international prize for outstanding research
At the 67th annual conference of the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center, held in Cape Town (South Africa), the 2025 Ekeberg Prize honored a publication by Grégory Lefèvre and Domitille Giaume, researchers at IRCP, along with postdoctoral fellows Mbolantenaina Rakotomalala Robinson and Rana Choumane. Awarded annually by leading global actors in the sector, this distinction celebrates excellence and innovation in the field of tantalum chemistry.
Recycling tantalum: turning a challenge into a resource
Tantalum, a key element for aerospace, space, and medical applications, is found in electronic waste but remains largely unrecovered. Supported by an ANR-funded project coordinated by Frédéric Rousseau, also a researcher at IRCP, the teams have developed an original extraction process that makes it possible to recover tantalum in a form directly usable for the production of superalloys, notably employed in aircraft engines.
Sustainable perspectives for industry and research
The approach, based on the formation of new tantalum-magnesium compounds and the production of tantalum oxide, opens the way to innovative and more sustainable processes. In collaboration with industrial partners such as TND and ONERA, this project represents a major step forward in the strategic recycling of critical metals and demonstrates IRCP’s commitment to combining scientific excellence with societal impact.