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Researchers reported a way to capture copper from spent lees, a whisky-production waste stream, and reuse the recovered metal as a catalyst. The method uses magnetite nanoparticles and a magnet, but the 2019 reports describe research—not a proven commercial process—and do not establish its recovery rate, selectivity or environmental benefit.
Why recover copper from whisky production?
Copper stills are used in whisky distillation, and some copper can leach into the spirit. Producers remove copper before the whisky is aged and bottled. The recovery method reported in 2019 targets copper in spent lees, a waste stream from production; it is not a treatment for finished whisky. RSC Education’s report describes the production context and the proposed recovery approach.
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How does the proposed recovery method work?
- Capture: Magnetite nanoparticles adsorb copper ions from spent lees.
- Separate: A magnet pulls the copper-loaded nanoparticles out of the liquid.
- Reuse: The recovered copper is used as a catalyst in azide–alkyne click reactions, which can be used to make products ranging from polymers to pharmaceuticals.
Chemistry World reported the work on 17 July 2019 and attributed it to a University of Manchester team led by Richard Kimber.
What makes the nanoparticle preparation route different?
The team used bacteria-produced magnetite nanoparticles. Chemistry World described the biological route as avoiding the chemical reducing agents and high temperatures used in conventional chemical preparation, and reported that bacteria can convert waste iron oxides into magnetite. This is a comparison of the preparation routes described in the report, not a full environmental comparison of the recovery process.
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What remains unproven?
The 2019 coverage does not provide a quantified copper recovery rate, yield, cost saving or emissions reduction. It also does not establish that the method has been deployed at distilleries or is commercially ready.
As Chemistry World reported, Louise Horsfall, a biotechnology expert at the University of Edinburgh, noted: “Analytical data for the treated spent lees is not presented, so we do not know if any metal exchange took place, if there is any metal selectivity or if the treatment would work with other metals.” Those uncertainties limit what can be claimed about how selectively the particles capture copper or whether the method would work on other waste streams.
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How this fits with other whisky-waste research
A separate 2022 study examined the soluble fraction of pot ale and spent wash from 22 Scottish distilleries, assessing possible recovery of proteins, organic acids and nutrients including magnesium and phosphate. It provides broader context for resource recovery from whisky production, but it is a different line of work and does not show that the copper-capture method was adopted. The study is available in PubMed Central.
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