Many MindedOutokumpu's EvoMaterials: A Metal Extraction Platform in Development
Outokumpu, the global leader in sustainable stainless steel production, has developed EvoMaterials—a platform technology for rethinking metal extraction. Originating from sulfidation-based research for chromite extraction, the system began development in the United States in 2021. It enables recovery of critical metals from low-grade resources and industrial side streams by creating a chemical environment that reduces extraction losses and by-products. Currently, EvoMaterials is being tested at Outokumpu’s Kemi mine in Finland, the only chrome mine in the European Union. This process produces ferrochrome with a 67% lower carbon footprint than industry average—a specific benefit for ferrochrome, not all metals.
The substance lies in EvoMaterials’ adaptability. As a platform technology, it targets multiple metal systems through chemical processes that improve efficiency without requiring new infrastructure. This could lower the cost of critical metals needed for renewable energy and electronics if scaled. However, the technology remains in development for chromite extraction at Kemi mine, with lab-scale trials demonstrating potential but full commercial implementation still ongoing.
This moves abundance for critical metals in the long term by potentially reducing extraction costs and environmental impact. But current friction is that EvoMaterials has not yet achieved widespread commercial deployment. The 67% carbon reduction applies only to ferrochrome, and the technology’s viability for other metals remains unproven at scale. What to watch: whether Outokumpu can transition EvoMaterials from lab trials to industrial use for chromite and other metals by 2025, and whether the carbon footprint benefit extends beyond ferrochrome.
*Source: MIT Tech Review (fact sheet provided)*
Source: MIT Tech Review