Metalysis Pioneers Single Step Metal Extraction Process - News Item

Metalysis is a Cambridge University spin-off company that was set up to commercialise new metal extraction technology.

The technology called FFC, after the inventors, Fray, Farthing and Chen has the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of producing metals that are often difficult and/or expensive to extract such as chromium, tungsten, cobalt and silicon.

The technique involves the electrolytic reduction of metal oxides to metal, using a molten metal salt and an electric current. This allows metals and alloys to be produced cheaply in a single step process. One of the attractions to the technique is that there is no need for melting, which means that it opens the door for the development of alloys that cannot be produced using more conventional techniques.

The patented process is also environmentally friendly due to its energy efficient nature compared to most available technologies.

Metalysis was initially supported by the University of Cambridge Fund, and has also received an injection of £250,000 from the University of Cambridge Venture Capital Fund.

Posted July 2003