Page 169 - CW E-Magazine (6-5-2025)

News from Abroad

CIRCULARITY IN CHLOR-ALKALI
Asahi Kasei and partners begin recycling metals

from electrolysers deployed in caustic soda plants

Japanese chemicals & technology
company, Asahi Kasei, has started a
joint demonstration project with Dutch
chemicals fi rm Nobian, Japanese
processor of platinum group metals
(PGMs) Furuya Metal, and UK-based
metal recycling fi rm Mastermelt, on the
recycling of metals, including precious
metals, used in the cells and electrodes
incorporated in electrolysers used for
the production of caustic soda.

Through this initiative started in
February 2025, the partners will work
towards building a recycling ecosystem
for valuable metals in the chlor-alkali
industry.

For nearly fi ve decades, Asahi
Kasei has been a leader in the fi eld of
chlor-alkali electrolysis for the produc-
tion of caustic soda and chlorine. The
company manufactures and supplies
ion-exchange membranes, electrolysis
cells, electrodes, and operation exper-
tise for electrolyser plants. Electroly-
sers apply an electric current that is used Asahi Kasei’s latest joint recycling the next process step, and the extrac-
to split salt water (brine) into chlorine, project with Nobian, Furuya Metal tion and purifi cation of precious metals
hydrogen, and caustic soda, which are and Mastermelt, aims to establish a from the catalyst. In the fi nal step, Asahi
then used in a broad variety of chemi- recycling process inside the chlor- Kasei uses the precious metals for a
cal products. Precious metals such as alkali industry that refi nes metals from new catalyst, which is then utilised
iridium and ruthenium are used to pro- cells and electrodes that have reached for the coating of electrodes. By us-
duce electrodes and other components the end of their service life and reuses ing these recycled catalytic electrodes,
for electrolysis systems. With increasing them as raw materials for the produc- Nobian will conduct brine electrolysis,
global demand for these materials, tion of new components within the thereby enabling resource recycling
Asahi Kasei has been advancing initia- industry. It is expected that this may also in the production of caustic soda
tives with partners to ensure a stable be applied to components of Asahi and chlorine.
and secure supply of these metals. Kasei’s electrolysis system for produc-
ing green hydrogen using clean energy. This announcement follows Asahi
One such example is a demonstra- In this project, Asahi Kasei will fi rst Kasei’s launch of the AlkaNexus brand
tion project of an electrolysis cell rental collect end-of-life electrodes from Nobian in late 2024, which is designed to be a
service in Europe. Running since 2023 and provide them to Mastermelt and one-stop solution for the chlor-alkali
in collaboration with Nobian, a manu- Furuya Metal which will perform the industry, integrating advanced services
facturer of caustic soda, this project removal of the catalyst from the elec- in data analysis, plant operations opti-
focuses on the reuse of precious metals. trodes, preparation of the material for misation, and membranes.

Chemical Weekly May 6, 2025 169

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