September 2023 Metallurgy Blog
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September 15, 2023
Massachusetts Firm is Pioneering Zero Emissions Steel Mass Production Process
Massachusetts Firm is Pioneering Zero Emissions Steel Mass Production Process
Massachusetts based company Boston Metal is attempting to scale up its revolutionary zero emissions steel production process. The company recently received $262 million in venture capital that will help it refine and scale up the process to bring it to market. The new zero emissions process would require renewable electricity and some creative chemistry to produce steel. The technical term for the process is molten oxide electrolysis, which involves passing large amounts of electricity through iron ore and melting it into a molten metallic mixture. At the same time the electrical current is able to separate the iron ore into elemental oxygen and iron, the iron then sinks to the bottom of the furnace and impurities such as calcium, silica, and magnesium are left on top. Apparently, the process can also be used to separate other valuable metals such as niobium and tantalum from low grade ore. The company has been preparing the patented process since its founding almost 10 years ago, which demonstrates just how long and difficult it is to bring such as revolutionary process to market. Other companies have attempted to create different processes and technologies to produce zero- emissions steel with limited success. Boston Metal CEO Tadeu Carneiro mentioned that the company’s most recent funding round may have provided them with the capital needed to finally start mass producing steel in the next few years. Learn more here.
September 30, 2023
Rice University Develops Battery Recycling Method Able to Recover 98% of Metals in Minutes
Rice University Develops Battery Recycling Method Able to Recover 98% of Metals in Minutes
To aid in the transition to renewable energy resources Rice University develops a new process that is able to recycle over 98% of metals used in lithium-ion batteries in minutes. As the move to renewable electric energy progresses there will be a significant increase in demand for batteries, specifically lithium ion batteries. However the unfortunate truth is that the metals used to construct these batteries are scarce and there may not be enough to meet demand. Rice University’s Joule-heating process can provide a solution to this dilemma. In their experiments researchers utilized the patented joule heating technique to heat cathode and anode battery waste to temperatures above 2100 Kelvin in seconds. The technique removes the inert layer from battery metals, reduces their oxidation state, and makes them soluble in low concentration acid. Whatever the composition of the batteries the novel technique is able to recover all metals with excellent yields. The method is even effective when using ultra low concentrated acids like 0.01 M HCI, something that would reduce the amount of secondary waste. The new method is an excellent solution in battery recycling and metal recovery, it is high yield, low cost , and it can notably minimize the environmental footprint of spent battery processing. Learn more here.
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