Imagine if we could treat old industrial drill bits and cutting tools like high-value ore mines. Instead of throwing them away, this project uses a special zinc process and organic acids from dairy waste to melt out the expensive metals. It's like using a smart chemical magnet to pull out the gold and cobalt so they can be used to make new tools again.
The EU faces a critical shortage of raw materials like Cobalt and Tungsten, while high-value hard metal tools are often discarded or recycled inefficiently. Current chemical recycling is energy-intensive and uses hazardous materials.
An automated sorting unit using visual recognition and a product coding system (digital passport) for hardmetal scrap. A bio-chemical reactor using dairy waste for metal recovery was also constructed.
If you are a tool manufacturer dealing with high waste of tungsten and cobalt—this project developed a bio-chemical recycling process that uses dairy waste to recover materials. This allows you to secure your own supply of critical raw materials while lowering your carbon footprint.
If you are a recycler dealing with mixed hard metal scrap—this project developed an automated sorting unit and a product coding system. This allows you to identify and separate high-value scrap rapidly and prevent illegal non-EU imitations from entering the chain.
If you are a producer dealing with expensive raw material imports—this project developed a Zinc Reclaim system that scales up recovery of critical metals. This reduces reliance on external imports by creating a circular loop for your end-of-life products.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or implementation costs are not provided; however, the project focuses on lowering energy consumption and carbon footprints to reduce operational costs.
Yes, the Zinc-reclaim method is already used at an industrial scale by TIKOMET in Finland, and the project aims to upscale and improve this system.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, but the project has developed a coding system and automatic sorting units for industry use.
The project contributes to the European Green Deal and EU Climate neutrality objectives by promoting zero waste manufacturing and the responsible supply of Critical Raw Materials.
The project period runs from 2023-12-01 to 2027-11-30, aiming to move technology from TRL 5 to 8.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 62% industry ratio, comprising 8 industrial partners and 3 SMEs across 10 countries. This strong commercial presence, led by the European Powder Metallurgy Association, suggests the project is focused on market adoption rather than pure academic research, with a clear path from lab to factory floor.
Contact the European Powder Metallurgy Association in Belgium
Contact us to connect with the RESQTOOL consortium for licensing the new hardmetal coding system.
