2 Metal Manufacturers Launch Fly Ash Recycling Business

Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co. (Mitsui Kinzoku) and Pacific Metals Co. will launch a business to recycle fly ash, which is recovered from a melting/vitrification process of waste incineration residues, in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture in April 2006, it was announced on June 17, 2005. MTR, a new wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui Kinzoku, will cooperate with Pacific Metals to recycle fly ash generated both inside and outside of the prefecture.

This business aims at zero emissions in transportation and all the treatment processes by recovering valuable metals and effectively utilizing slag, another by-product of the smeltering process, as construction materials.

MTR will melt and remove chlorine components in fly ash and deliver the dehydrated and desalted ash to Pacific Metals. After drying the ash, Pacific Metals will reduce and resolve it at a temperature of around 1,500 degrees Celsius to recover crude zinc oxides with high zinc and lead concentrations, and concentrated copper metal as well as other valuable metal resources. The harmless slag will be sold as aggregate for concrete and asphalt. Mitsui Kinzoku will recycle the crude zinc oxide and the concentrated copper metal brought back from Pacific Metals as raw material for the Mitsui group companies.

The two companies hope their joint venture will contribute to the promotion of resource recycling nationwide.

http://www.mitsui-kinzoku.co.jp/en/

Posted: 2005/11/13 10:18:32 PM
Japanese version