Purification of manganese from anode sludge at Kokkola

Challenge the practice is addressing: This practice is looking into options to convert manganese-containing waste into useful products such as fertilizers, a steel industry additive or precursor material for lithium-ion batteries. The Boliden Kokkola zinc smelter produces 3.000-4.000 tonnes of anode sludge annually, and slightly less at the Boliden Odda zinc smelter. To date, all manganese-containing anode sludge at both sites has been disposed of in landfills.

Concrete practice to achieve the expected goal: With the help of research partners, Boliden Kokkola is studying different methods of converting anode sludge into pure manganese oxide and other metals. Successful trials have been conducted to recover lead, zinc, and silver from the anode sludge and extract manganese.

Expected impact/goal of the practice: The practice shows how circularity can be promoted by minimising waste generation and recovering valuable substances. Furthermore, the pure manganese oxide can be used in the steel industry as an additive in the steel manufacturing process.

Who is the target user group of the practice/intervention or implementing the practice/intervention? This is in particular relevant for industry contexts.