Metal Recovery
Chelok© is Periodic Products’ patented series of chelating polymers. Chelok polymers rapidly, permanently, and cost effectively remove, extract and eliminate metals, including transition metals and REEs, from water, soil, and ash.
With its proprietary polymers, Periodic Products has demonstrated the efficient removal and isolation of metals from ore, coal ash, incinerator ash, and metal-laden tailing ponds. The Chelok Polymer Technologies are poised to have a significant impact on global mining activities by improving the efficiency of mineral extraction from ores and other mining by-products while decreasing overall environmental impact.
Cost-Effective Recovery of Metals from Incinerator Ash
In 2010, 86 waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities operating in 24 states processed more than 26 million tons of municipal solid waste. The two types of ash produced during a WtE generation, bottom ash and fly ash are frequently combined to reduce the leaching potential of the component metals. There have been numerous investigations into the possibility of using WtE ash as a source of metals, including copper, lead, mercury, and rare earth metals. However, a cost effective method of extraction and isolation has not been previously reported.
Periodic Products Inc.’s patented Chelok technology is a polymer based chelating compound possessing multiple industrial applications. Applying our proprietary extraction technology and patented polymer-based metal isolation procedures, we have successfully isolated copper and lead, the primary metal contaminants from 80-year-old municipal incinerator ash. Based on initial projections, the cost of extraction and isolation (including CAPX) is approximately 50% of the current market price for these metals, making this process economically viable.