Zero Mine sets new standards in recycling

Zero Mine’s patented technology increases the recycling rate of electrical equipment and improves the self-sufficiency of critical raw materials in Finland and Europe. There are concerns about the sufficiency of critical raw materials in Europe.

Many of the metals used in electrical and electronic equipment are classified as critical raw materials. They are strategically important metals for Europe’s green transition. A smart device, computer or tablet can contain up to 60 different metals, many of which are present in small concentrations in devices, such as semiconductors. 

Typically, metals have been separated by melting methods, which has required high amounts of energy. Metals present in very low concentrations have largely been lost with existing melting technologies. With Zero Mine’s patented recovery solution, even small quantities can be recovered with significantly less energy.

Energy-efficient dissolution technology

In the early stages, Zero Mine specifically deals with circuit boards that can be removed from electrical devices, which are not only found in smart devices but nowadays also in various household appliances that are connected to the internet. 

Zero Mine’s pre-commercial processing plant for electrical and electronic waste is being planned in Jyväskylä. The plant crushes the material into pieces of desired size and then separates the metals from the circuit boards through thermal treatment. The plant cools and grinds the metals into pieces of appropriate size. Subsequently, the metals are separated by hydrometallurgical techniques in different acid solutions.

Hydrometallurgical techniques are processes in which metals are separated and precipitated by dissolving them in aqueous solutions and by using various chemical reactions to separate them. Separation and recovery methods utilise the chemical properties of metals, such as solubility, oxidation–reduction potential (redox potential) and complex formation. For example, the mining industry uses hydrometallurgy to separate ore from metal and to enrich metals.

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