Evolving metal extraction processes

Provided byOutokumpu

The metals industry has experienced transformational moments before: the Bessemer process, flash smelting, electric arc furnaces, and modern continuous casting all changed what was possible.

Yet, for more than a century, most extraction processes rely on techniques and pathways that would be familiar to metallurgists from generations ago. Processes have become larger and control systems smarter, but the fundamental science behind separating metals from ores has changed less than many realize.

Today’s materials challenges are different from those of the 20th century, but why are critical metals still produced using largely the same scientific foundations?

EvoMaterials, a technology platform developed by Outokumpu—the global leader in sustainable stainless steel and the producer of ferrochrome with 67% lower carbon footprint than the industry average—is exploring that question by rethinking how metals can be extracted:

“We decided to go beyond the current constraints and look fundamentally at what’s the best way to do this with the benefit of the scientific engineering knowledge and hindsight that we have today,” says Caspar Stinn, technical director for extractive metallurgy at Outokumpu. “We’re looking at how we can reimagine metals production.”

A supply chain problem disguised as a materials problem

As economies expand and the world becomes increasingly electrified, data and scientific models point to rising demand for many minerals, driven by technologies ranging from data centers to aerospace, water treatment, energy systems, and defence. According to Antoine Allanore, professor of metallurgy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this coincides with many Western economies having reduced their domestic processing capacity for the very metals those industries depend on.

Metallurgy is now strategically important, shaped not only by cost and availability but also by carbon footprint, geographic origin and supply-chain resilience.

That reality is particularly relevant for chromium and other specialty metals used in high-temperature and extreme environments. Chromium-based materials play a critical role in aerospace systems, power generation, corrosion-resistant infrastructure and defense technologies, where materials must perform under demanding conditions.

Beyond optimization

For decades, metallurgical innovation largely focused on improving yields, energy efficiency and process control. EvoMaterials is based on the idea that some metallurgical processes may benefit from entirely different chemical pathways.

The platform originates from research into sulfidation-based processing technologies, initially pursued to reduce carbon emissions associated with ferrochrome production. Laboratory work revealed broader potential.

Lab-scale trials demonstrated that these alternative process chemistries could potentially do more than lower emissions. They could recover valuable metals from lower grade resources and industrial side streams while fundamentally altering how separation processes are performed. The opportunity is to rethink how mineral resources are used and how much value can be extracted from them, bringing in greater resource efficiency and stronger industrial competitiveness.

Understanding traditional smelting vs. new proprietary technology

Source: Outokumpu

Development of the technology began in the United States in 2021 for chromite from Outokumpu’s Kemi mine in Finland, the only chrome mine in the European Union and one of the few such operations across the Western world. Since then, Outokumpu has evolved the technology through extensive research and development, combining new process chemistries with proprietary metallurgical expertise, supported in part by a non-exclusive patent license agreement from MIT.

“The technology is a new application for separating metallic elements from materials,” explains Allanore. Historically, that separation has been achieved using carbon- and energy-intensive approaches. The new method creates a different chemical environment that enables more efficient extraction with fewer losses and fewer unwanted by-products, recovering critical materials from resources considered waste.

Innovation happens at the boundaries

EvoMaterials sits at the intersection of several scientific disciplines, a combination that strongly resonates with Stinn, who completed his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, where his research focused on low-carbon metals processing and recycling technologies.

Modern materials innovation draws on a growing mix of chemistry, materials science, physics, computational modeling, and engineering. With advanced simulation tools and AI helping researchers identify promising directions, scientific discovery still depends on experimentation and testing in the lab—on getting your hands dirty and doing the hard work.

“Science today is much more interdisciplinary than it was, and the collaboration across disciplines reveals new scientific opportunities,” says Stinn. Engineering can translate those opportunities into more efficient and cost-competitive metals production.

Building a technology platform

A technically significant aspect of EvoMaterials is that it’s not a single process, but a technology platform. Allanore compares EvoMaterials to platform technologies in other industries, where a single scientific breakthrough can enable multiple downstream applications.

Once a new extraction pathway has been mastered for one material system, the same scientific principles may be adapted to entirely different metals and mineral resources. The initial application becomes only the starting point.

“The future and the potential impact might be much broader than the original and current developments that are happening,” Allanore explains.

That possibility is increasingly important as industries seek secure supplies of nickel, chromium, molybdenum, and other strategic materials needed for advanced manufacturing.

The future of materials companies

The broader implication extends beyond metallurgy. Companies that develop proprietary process technologies may create value through production but also through intellectual property and scientific expertise.

Based on Outokumpu’s technology leadership, that transition could create entirely new categories of value, enabling the production of high-value critical materials from ores and resource streams that previously appeared uneconomical or inaccessible.

The result would be a fundamental shift in how metals are manufactured, where sustainability, resource efficiency, supply security, and economic value become outcomes of the same technological architecture rather than separate objectives.

The next step for EvoMaterials is pilot-scale validation, with a pilot plant in New Hampshire to begin operations in the first half of 2027. The facility will scale the proprietary technology from laboratory to one-ton production, providing a step toward industrial-scale deployment targeted for 2030. Beyond producing low-CO₂, chromium-enriched ferrochrome and chromium metal, the platform could be adapted to other strategic materials, including nickel and molybdenum.

The work raises a broader question—how many of today’s metallurgical processes would look the same if they were invented from scratch? Or could those routes be designed differently today?

The next revolution in materials may begin by rethinking how to extract the metals that society depends on.

Read more about this topic and hear more from Caspar Stinn and Antoine Allanore.

This content was produced by Outokumpu. It was not written by MIT Technology Review’s editorial staff.