Electrolysis of Hard Metal Scrap for the Recovery of Valuable Metals
The main elements that make up Hard Metal – tungsten (W) and cobalt (Co) – have been classified by the European Union as Critical Raw Materials, due to their industrial importance and the vulnerability of their supply chains.
Currently, industrial recovery rates remain around 40% for tungsten and 20% for cobalt, which fall far short of the EU’s environmental and strategic goals.
The European MESCEL project was created to respond to this challenge, proposing an innovative and environmentally friendly electrolysis technology, that operates at neutral pH, uses only salted water (no acids), and requires very low energy, which can be entirely supplied by the solar panels at our Premosello Chiovenda facility. This method is designed to completely separate W and Co from Hard Metal scrap, offering a clean and sustainable approach to metal recovery.
This type of process is particularly suitable for recovering hard metal scraps that are currently considered unattractive by the recycling industry – materials that are abundant on the market but often left unused due to their high cobalt content, which makes traditional methods less viable from both an environmental and economic standpoint.
Why it matters:
- Reduces dependence on non-European mines and on restrictive regulations such as those recently introduced by China (November 2024).
- Minimizes environmental impact compared to traditional mining.
- Promotes the circular economy in the hard metal sector.
- Enables the recovery of challenging scrap materials, expanding the scope of what can be effectively recycled.
Project Partners:
- ZAG – Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute
- Politecnico di Milano – Department of Energy
- OMCD TEK HUB SpA
In the MESCEL project, OMCD TEK HUB SpA is involved as an industrial partner with the following roles:
- Process design and optimization
- Industrial validation and scaling up
- Commercialization of Hard Metal products made from recovered secondary raw materials
This participation strengthens OMCD’s position as a leader in the sustainable production of hard metals, with an average 70% content of secondary raw materials in its products.
Learn more: https://mescel.eu