Umicore has been granted a patent for a process that recovers metals, particularly cobalt, from metal-bearing materials containing specific concentrations of cobalt, nickel, and magnesium. The method involves smelting in a bath furnace with selected slag formers to produce a high-purity cobalt alloy and a magnesium-rich slag. GlobalData’s report on Umicore gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Umicore, Hydrogen storage alloys was a key innovation area identified from patents. Umicore's grant share as of July 2024 was 52%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
The granted patent US12060625B2 outlines a novel process for recovering metals, specifically cobalt (Co), from a metal-bearing material known as Mixed Hydroxide Precipitates (MHP). The MHP must contain more than 1 wt. % Co, a combined total of Co and nickel (Ni) exceeding 15 wt. %, and more than 1 wt. % magnesium (Mg). The recovery process involves smelting the MHP in a bath furnace under reducing conditions, which results in the formation of an alloy phase and a slag phase. The alloy phase is characterized by containing over 80 wt. % Co and less than 1 wt. % Mg. The patent specifies the use of calcium oxide (CaO), silicon dioxide (SiO2), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as slag formers to achieve a specific final slag composition.
Additionally, the patent describes that the smelting step is the sole smelting operation in a complete cobalt valorization process starting from MHP. The process may include granulation or atomization of the alloy phase, followed by leaching in acidic conditions to produce a Co-bearing leach solution. This solution can then be purified to remove impurities, allowing for the recovery of cobalt. The patent also notes that the alloy phase can contain more than 90 wt. % Co and emphasizes that no charge pretreatment steps, such as adding a binder or agglomeration, are included in the process. This innovative approach aims to enhance the efficiency of cobalt recovery from MHP, contributing to advancements in metal recycling and resource recovery technologies.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
