metals

Evolving technology in electronics shredding can help make value recovery more efficient and profitable, but there are several considerations companies must factor in before investing in new equipment, panelists said at the recent E-Scrap Conference.

The power struggle between South Korean smelting company Korea Zinc and a private equity firm that wants to seize control of the company is continuing, with both using press conferences and statements to publicly attack the other's business decisions.

As technology trade tensions between China and the U.S. escalate, bans on trading minerals used in producing LED screens, semiconductors, chips and batteries are again putting the recycling sector in the spotlight. 

Metals and rare earth processor Cyclic Materials signed a multi-year offtake agreement with Glencore to send the smelter copper from e-scrap, batteries and electric motors. 

Mint Innovation, an Australian company that is scaling up a hydrometallurgical technology to recover precious metals from e-scrap, this week began construction on a $20 million refinery in Texas capable of processing nearly 9 million pounds per year of printed circuit boards.

A report from the International Energy Agency emphasized the "importance of unlocking the potential of recycling" and laid out policy recommendations for scaling up the industry globally. 

Envela, the parent company of ITAD company Echo and others, reported higher revenue and operating costs in the third quarter of the year, thanks to a new client. 

After several years commercializing its technology, Australia-based hydrometallurgical processing company Mint Innovation is getting ready to build its first U.S. facility, which will provide an outlet for various grades of circuit boards.

German company Aurubis has brought its multi-metal recycling facility in Georgia online after two years of work. 

[caption id="attachment_25063" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A private equity firm, MBK Partners, and shareholder Young Poong submitted a bid to purchase a majority stake in Korea Zinc, a move the smelting company called a "hostile takeover." | Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock[/caption] Top executives at South Korean smelting giant Korea Zinc are