New Process Extracts Metal From Smelter Sludge Waste
The hydrometallurgical method successfully recovers manganese and zinc while eliminating over 99% of toxic hydrocarbons.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Chemistry
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Green Manganese Technologies has successfully processed wet gas-cleaning sludge from a European ferromanganese smelter to recover manganese and zinc. The completed campaign confirms the ability to extract valuable metals while stabilizing hazardous waste solids.
Why it matters
Industrial smelters currently lose significant metal volume to disposal while facing high costs for hazardous waste management. This process offers a path to convert industrial tailings into secondary resource streams while remediating toxic contamination.
The process uses a closed-loop, water-based hydrometallurgical circuit to recover metals from sludge containing 30% manganese and 6% zinc. The treatment leaves near-neutral solids after successfully separating alkali elements.
The players
Green Manganese Technologies
A startup focused on hydrometallurgical processes for recovering metals from low-grade industrial waste and ores.
ALS Canada Ltd.
An independent analytical testing laboratory that provided confirmation of the chemical reduction results.
The details
Green Manganese Technologies employs hydrometallurgy—a process that uses aqueous chemistry to extract metals from ores or industrial waste—to isolate minerals. The method effectively separates sodium and potassium alkali elements from the residue, while concurrently leaching hazardous lead and cadmium into a process solution. This results in the chemical stabilization of previously toxic sludge into safe, near-neutral solids.
Timeline
September 2026: Company completed metallurgical test work on polymetallic nodules.
October 2026: Company announced completion of the sludge processing campaign.
The Tech Race
The technology aims to solve the disposal burden of the 10,000 metric tonnes of sludge generated annually at Eramet's Kvinesdal plant. It competes against traditional landfilling and incineration methods by shifting the industry toward metal recovery.
This process directly impacts industrial waste management workflows for European smelting facilities. It enables firms to transition from paying for hazardous waste disposal to reclaiming raw manganese and zinc from their existing tailings.
The takeaway
The successful stabilization of industrial sludge demonstrates that hydrometallurgical systems can effectively strip toxic contaminants while yielding secondary materials. Industry stakeholders should monitor upcoming reports on processing efficiency for the 10,000 metric tonnes of sludge handled at the Kvinesdal plant.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Chemistry to understand how material processing is evolving.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MINING.
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