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Discover how Elmery’s innovative Iridium refining technology is meeting the growing demand in the hydrogen economy.

In recent years, the global push for more sustainable energy solutions has changed the role of Iridium. Iridium has transformed from a minor industrial metal to a critical element for the hydrogen economy and generated substantially growing demand for it. As the world moves towards hydrogen fuel cells (among other renewable energy solutions) and green hydrogen production, Iridium’s catalytic properties have made it indispensable in electrolysis, the process used to produce hydrogen. However, Iridium is extremely rare — it is found in the earth’s crust at a concentration of just 0.001 ppm. Since 2019, the price of Iridium has increased by over 160%, pushing industries to find more efficient and cost-effective ways to extract, process, and recycle this precious metal. Elmery has responded to this challenge by developing cutting-edge refining technology, enabling more optimized recovery of Iridium while minimizing environmental impact and operational costs.

Traditional refining methods involve complex hydrometallurgical processes that require specific conditions and the use of numerous chemicals to separate Iridium from the other precious elements. These processes become less effective when Iridium is present in low concentrations. In some cases, this valuable metal is discarded as it is present in such low concentrations that it cannot be economically recovered. Subsequently, some part of the iridium is lost from circulation in state-of-the-art industrial processes.

Elmery’s technology provides an ambitious perspective on Iridium refining, achieving remarkable recovery even from complex and low-concentration solutions. In a recent Elmery-project, a low-grade Iridium solution was treated using Elmery’s enhanced electrochemical process. Elmery’s recovery approach not only maximizes the recovery of this precious metal but also minimizes the environmental impact by eliminating the need for harsh chemicals or additional energy-intensive processing steps.

Elmery’s advancement in Iridium refining provides a smart, sustainable solution for industries aiming at high recovery of this rare metal. Contact us to learn more about how our innovative processes can add value to your processes and support sustainability goals.