Internationale Partnersuche

Innovation & Technologie Angebot

Industrial production of magnetite micro- and nanoparticles : a magnetic iron oxide for a large range of applications

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: TOFR20180418001
Publication Date: 5 June 2020

Summary

A French start-up specialized in recycling ferrous byproducts has designed a new process for the industrial production of magnetite. By producing it through the recycling of ferrous wastes, they enable a high volume and low cost production of those materials and unblocks the development of new applications such as wastewater treatment or soil remediation. Partnership can be considered via commercial agreement with technical assistance, technical cooperation or joint venture agreement.

Description

A French start-up specialized in recycling ferrous byproducts based in Grenoble has designed a new process for the industrial production of magnetite micro- and nanoparticles. Produced with particle sizes below the micrometer, magnetite offers particular properties sought-after in a large range of applications. This process fits in the context of circular economy by totally converting the iron content of ferrous wastes into magnetite. This work is the result of more than 5 years of R&D development conducted in the local university. 



Key facts and figures:

- Magnetite is a magnetic iron oxide with particular properties : magnetism, color, specific surface area, redox

- Up to 800 kg magnetite are produced per ton of ferrous waste

- No limitations on ferrous waste ressources: millions of tons are produced every year in Europe (>1 million / year in France only)



Magnetite as micro- and nanoparticles is a sought-after material that offers particular physicochemical properties such as high specific surface area, magnetism, black color and redox capacities. All these properties enables its use in a large range of applications such as:

- wastewater treatment

- soil remediation

- electromagnetic (EM) shielding

- magnetic additive for polymers, elastomers, paints or concrete 

- black pigment

- heat transfer



Environmental applications focus on the ability of magnetite to treat heavy metals and organic compounds such as pesticides, drug residues, PAHs (PAHs is the acronym of Polyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, a family of organic compounds often found as a pollutant in industrial wastewater ), phenols ...

Magnetic applications focus on the behavior of magnetite under a magnetic field: attraction and partial absorption.



The production of magnetite at an industrial scale - meaning low cost and high volume - is made possible by a process based on recycling. This recycling process focuses on ferrous wastes produced at the different steps of the steel industry. Despite their high iron content and their vast yearly production - thousands of tons per year and production site -, most of ferrous wastes still lack of valorization routes. The total conversion of their ferrous content into magnetite, the process opens a realistic alternative to on-site storage or landfill. Depending on the iron content of the ferrous waste, from 200 to 800 kg of magnetite by ton of ferrous waste can be produced by the process.



Today, the start-up is able to perform the process and produces few kilograms of magnetite. The start-up is open as well to direct contact with partners ready to implement magnetite in their process as to potentiel collaborations in industrial R&D projects. Partnership can be considered via a commercial agreement with technical assistance, technical cooperation agreement or joint venture agreement.

Applications of interest are listed above. However, the start-up team is always on the lookout for new applications.

Advantages and Innovations

Main advantages:

- Enable the production of magnetite micro- and nanoparticles at industrial scale: low cost, high volume

- Magnetite is a material sought-after in plenty of developing applications: from wastewater treatment to electromagnetic shielding

- Pollutant targets in wastewater treatment and soil remediation: heavy metals and organic compounds

- Magnetic applications: magnetic attraction and partial absorption

- A project totally included in the circular economy, magnetite is produced by recycling ferrous wastes

- The start-up is able to send samples to partners.

Stage Of Development

Available for demonstration

Requested partner

The start-up is looking for companies specialized in one of these following field of applications wich are interested in testing magnetite in their process :



- wastewater treatment

- soil remediation

- electromagnetic (EM) shielding

- magnetic additive for polymers, elastomers, paints or concrete 

- black pigment

- heat transfer



The start-up is also looking for material distributors specialized in wastewater treatment and soil remediation. For the next months, the main objective of the start-up is to scale-up its process in order to produce magnetite at industrial scale. 2 steps are considered: 1) from 200 kg / year to 100 T / year; 2) from 100 T / year to 2 000 to 5 000 T / year. 

Finally, the start-up is open to discussion with industrial companies with ferrous waste issues and interested in developing our solution on their site.

Partnership can be considered via commercial agreement with technical assistance, technical cooperation or joint venture agreement.