Closing the loop on zinc oxide - transforming foundation industry waste to value

Nanomox开发了一种具有成本效益和可持续的金属氧化方法，氧化离子合成（OIS），以生产先进的无机材料。该工艺在低温（<120°C）下使用离子液体（可容易地再循环的绿色溶剂）来直接氧化金属，例如锌。初步的技术经济和可持续性分析表明，与现有技术相比，该技术提供了巨大的改进，与传统的火法冶金方法相比，实现了97%的节能。OIS工艺可以从含金属废物中回收价值，这为钢铁制造和镀锌行业产生的金属残留物（电弧炉粉尘，炉渣，浮渣等）的价值化打开了大门。目前，任何废物回收都是通过能源密集型火法冶金工艺进行的，这不符合净零目标。其中一些废物被填埋，造成土地利用效率低下、经济损失以及金属渗入土壤造成的负面环境影响。使用OIS工艺，Nanomox可以以可持续的方式生产氧化锌（ZnO）等散装无机材料，以满足陶瓷、玻璃和橡胶制造等基础行业的需求。OIS工艺还可以生产具有可控颗粒形态的先进无机材料，定制质量以适应高价值应用。在这个项目中，Nanomox将与基础行业合作伙伴合作开发废物衍生的ZnO材料，为陶瓷、玻璃和橡胶行业的制造商创造价值。通过创造一种新的工业共生形式，该项目将提高基础工业的可持续性和盈利能力，为英国作为高价值添加剂和产品可持续生产的全球领导者创造就业机会和长期繁荣。

Nanomox has developed a cost-effective and sustainable metal oxidation method, Oxidative Ionothermal Synthesis (OIS), to produce advanced inorganic materials. This process uses ionic liquids (green solvents that can be readily recycled) at low temperatures (<120°C) for the direct oxidation of metals, such as zinc. Preliminary techno-economic and sustainability analyses demonstrate that this technique offers enormous improvements over existing technologies, achieving 97% energy reduction compared to conventional pyrometallurgical methods.The OIS process can recover value from metal-containing wastes, which opens the door to valorisation of metallic residues produced in steel manufacturing and galvanising industries (EAF dust, slags, dross, etc). Currently, any waste recovery is done through energy-intensive pyrometallurgical processes, which are not in line with Net Zero ambitions. Some of these wastes go to landfill, representing inefficient land use, economic loss, and negative environmental impacts due to metal leaching into the soil.Using the OIS process, Nanomox can produce bulk inorganic materials, such as zinc oxide (ZnO), in a sustainable fashion to meet the needs of foundation industries such as ceramics, glass, and rubber manufacturing. The OIS process can also produce advanced inorganic materials with controlled particle morphology, tailoring the quality to suit high-value applications. Products from this process will improve manufacturing sustainability and can lead to significantly improved performance and technologies.In this project, Nanomox will work with foundation industry partners to develop waste-derived ZnO materials that can create value for manufacturers in the ceramics, glass, and rubber sectors. By creating a new form of industrial symbiosis, the project will improve sustainability and profitability for the foundation industries, securing and creating jobs and long-term prosperity for the UK as a global leader in sustainable production of high-value additives and products.