At COM 2026 in Calgary, Elmery’s CTO Petteri Halli presented the latest advances in selective electrochemical metal recovery, highlighting promising results from real industrial refinery streams and the potential for more efficient and sustainable precious metal refining.

Elmery participated in the 65th Conference of Metallurgy and Materials (COM 2026), held August 17–20 in Calgary, Canada. The conference brought together leading researchers, industry professionals, and experts in metallurgy and materials science to discuss the latest advances in metal processing and sustainable technologies.

Elmery’s Co-Founder and CTO, Petteri Halli, delivered a presentation titled “Expanding Electrochemistry Beyond Electrowinning – Pulsed Electrolysis for Precious Metals Refining and Recovery.” The presentation explored how Elmery’s technology extends the possibilities of conventional electrowinning, enabling selective recovery of valuable metals and removal of impurities from complex industrial process streams.

One of the highlights was a case study involving a real industrial chloride solution containing low concentrations of precious metals alongside significantly higher concentrations of impurities. Laboratory testing demonstrated that gold and several platinum group metals (PGMs) could be reduced to residual concentrations below 1 mg/L, while producing a PGM-rich cathode product containing 59–64% PGMs by weight. Further optimization is underway to improve selectivity and minimize impurity co-deposition.

Petteri also highlighted how machine learning can support the development of optimized electrical pulse parameters for different process conditions, improving the efficiency of laboratory development and scale-up.

Beyond laboratory results, the presentation showcased Elmery’s existing industrial experience in platinum recovery, where electricity consumption of less than 4 kWh per kilogram of recovered platinum has been demonstrated. Elmery’s modular technology can also be integrated into existing refinery processes without requiring major changes to the production setup.

The presentation highlighted a new role for electrochemistry in precious metal refining: not simply recovering metals at the end of a process, but selectively recovering valuable metals and controlling impurities throughout it.

Participating in COM 2026 provided Elmery with an opportunity to share its latest developments with the international metallurgical community and contribute to the advancement of more efficient and sustainable metal recovery technologies.