Recycling of waste products during molten salt synthesis of templates for textured ceramics

Molten salt synthesis (MSS) is a versatile route for fabricating anisotropic microcrystals used to prepare textured ceramics, but its widespread use is constrained by excessive salt consumption and the accumulation of massive waste streams. Here, we introduce a circular MSS strategy that eliminates these inefficiencies by enabling recycling of both salt and precursors. Using the two-step synthesis of BaTiO 3 platelike templates as a model, we demonstrate direct recovery and reuse of the NaCl/KCl from the first-step MSS of Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 templates, together with a new chemical pathway for reclaiming bismuth from the by-products of the second-step MSS of BaTiO 3 platelike templates. The recycled inputs yield BaTiO 3 templates that are structurally and morphologically identical to those produced from fresh reagents, while cutting waste generation by closing the materials loop. This work establishes MSS as a sustainable, closed-loop process, advancing a circular economy framework that couples high-quality anisotropic microcrystal synthesis with drastic waste minimization.