Metso invests in piloting capabilities for Metso Research Center in Pori

Approximately 180 people work at the research center, bringing together specialized expertise in mineral processing and metallurgy. Their efforts are essential in advancing Metso’s innovative solutions, contributing to product development, testing and optimizing processes that enhance efficiency and sustainability for the mining and metals industries. This state-of-the-art facility and holistic approach enable Metso to continue to drive technological advancements and stay at the forefront of industry needs.

Recently, Metso has significantly invested in modernizing the laboratory and pilot facilities to expand experimental capabilities. The most recent investments include:

• 3-in-line electric furnace for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) smelting
• Kaldo L0.05 for processing of various primary and secondary raw materials
• Precursor pilot for cathode active materials
• Modernization of Minerals processing and hydrometallurgical laboratories.

The objectives of the pilot testing are verification and validation of process development. Customer feed materials can be tested to support investment decision making.

3-in-line electric furnace for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) smelting

The new 3-in-line furnace is an 8 M€ investment to up-scale the smelting technology development for direct-reduced-iron. The furnace design is based on Metso’s industrially proven equipment and components, such as the furnace binding system and Sentinel cooling system. The capacity of the furnace is up to 1 ton of hot metal per hour. The official inauguration was held on 25^th October, with the hot commissioning taking place after that.

Further information for Metso's Outotec DRI Smelting Furnace can be found here: DRI Smelting Furnace - Metso

Kaldo L0.05

The new Kaldo L0.05 furnace is an investment for up-scaling and testing the smelting and converting processes for a variety of different primary and secondary raw materials, including non-ferrous concentrates, iron alloys, electronic scrap and Pb anode slimes.

The furnace design is based on Metso’s industrially proven equipment and components, such as the furnace pot and its tilting and rotation systems. The working volume of the furnace is 50 liters. Hot commissioning and the first two customer test campaigns with this pilot furnace were carried out during autumn 2023 and spring 2024, and have proven to be successful.

Further information for Kaldo L can be found here: https://www.metso.com/corporate/media/news/2024/3/metso-introduces-compact-4th-generation-outotec-kaldo-l-furnace-for-higher-recovery-of-metals/

Pilot for cathode active material precursors

Precursor of cathode active material (pCAM) determines the performance of lithium-ion batteries such as energy density, recyclability and safety. Metso started the pCAM reactor development in 2019 with broad laboratory testing, and last year, the 100-litre pilot scale reactor setup was built to prove the technology’s scalability.

After a successful piloting and proof of concept, OKTOP® pCAM reactor technology with digital solutions was officially launched for customers. As the only western supplier for comprehensive pCAM technology, Metso continuously develops its own advanced modular pCAM plant process solution, allowing cost-effective and sustainable precursor production that meets a continuously increasing need for battery materials.

Laboratory modernizations

The minerals processing and the hydrometallurgical laboratory at the Research Center have been renovated. The main drivers were improved safety and increased efficiency. The minerals processing laboratory has a completely separated area for handling dry materials, avoiding dust exposure during the sampling preparation phase, which includes crushing, sieving and splitting of samples. The hydrometallurgical laboratory renovation focused primarily on safety, work hygiene and testwork capacity improvement in battery minerals processing.

This article is part of our Smelting Newsletter 2024. Visit the issue front page for all articles and greetings from Jyrki Makkonen - VP, Smelting.