Salzgitter AG and Umicore’s Metal Deposition Solutions (MDS) unit have jointly developed a process that enables the recovery of iridium from anodes used in continuous electro-galvanizing, supporting resource conservation and advancing the circular economy.
In electro-galvanizing, MMO anodes coated by Umicore MDS apply a thin zinc layer to steel strip for sectors such as automotive and home appliances. These coatings contain iridium, a strategically important and extremely scarce precious metal, and must be periodically renewed. Until now, iridium residues on worn anodes could not be recovered economically.
With global iridium production at only around 10,000 kg per year and demand rising for applications such as hydrogen electrolyzers, reclaiming this metal has become increasingly important. The new process, developed jointly by Umicore Galvanotechnik GmbH, Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, and Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung GmbH, creates the technical and operational interfaces needed to return iridium from coating residues back into the materials cycle in a cost-efficient way.
