Mitsui Mining & Smelting to Expand Metals Recycling Business

Mitsui Mining & Smelting’s wholly owned subsidiary, Kamioka Mining & Smelting expands the metal recycling business. The Gifu based subsidiary doubles the cobalt recover from lithium ion battery in 2 years while the firm increases generation of valve regulated lead acid battery to recover more for lead refinery. The firm starts tin recovery from waste electronic substrate after lead refining.

The firm recovers cobalt from lithium cobalt oxide of battery. The firm sells the electrolytic cobalt with 99.8% or more purity for trading companies. The firm expands the output capacity from annual 100 tonnes to 130 tonnes in November starting commercial operation in December. The firm will expand the capacity to 200 tonnes in 2 years.

The firm eyes additional expansion for cobalt recycling. However, the firm tries to find the trend in the battery market when lithium ion battery consumption increases for hybrid vehicle and battery vehicle and the larger battery could have lithium manganese oxide or lithium nickel oxide as positive electrode material instead of lithium cobalt oxide.

The firm makes lead ingot from waste lead battery of automobile and industrial usage. The firm operates the recycling operation at around 80% of the capacity due to short of recycling materials. The firm increases the generation of lead battery of server and motorcycle to improve the capacity utilization.

The firm recovers gold, silver and bismuth from waste electronic substrate through lead melting furnace. The firm started tin recovery form the substrate in the summer to supply to Takehara refiney in Hiroshima. The firm studies copper recovery and better method to recover precious metals for better profitability.