The standards for ferrous, copper and aluminum scrap go into effect Jan. 10.

The Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has released a statement indicating that implementation of its Guidelines for the Importation of Metal Scrap and Waste Paper will go into effect Jan. 10. Until then, MITI says its interim measure for the implementation of the Guidelines for the Importation and Inspection of Metal Scrap for HS code 7204 (ferrous scrap), 7404 (copper scrap) and 7602 (aluminum scrap) will continue to be enforced until Jan. 9.

“MITI commends the commitment by all major manufacturers and importers in complying with the guidelines during the interim period,” the ministry says in a statement on the new guidelines. “MITI calls upon the industry to continue to support the overarching objective of the guidelines in complying with our international commitment. This is as prescribed through the UN Sustainable Development Goals which, under goal 12, is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns as well as in upholding the environment, social and governance principles.”

The new standards demand ferrous scrap shipments must consist of 94.75 percent iron and steel, with a maximum 0.25 percent nonmetallic consistency and nothing considered by MITI as “electrical and electronic” scrap. Aluminum and copper specifications demand identical percentages, which would result in a ban on coated wire and cable scrap and lead to uncertainty for mixed, shredded grades that can contain fragments of printed circuit boards.

MITI extended the period of this interim measure in November 2021. At that time, the ministry stated that the extended interim period would allow the industry to “undertake the necessary preparations towards the Certificate of Approval (CoA) implementation.”

Rolloff Recyclers, Woodinville, Washington, operates a fleet of recycling containers in King and Snohomish counties.

DTG Recycle, a Mill Creek, Washinton-based recycler of commercial, industrial, construction and demolition material in the Pacific Northwest, has acquired substantially all assets of Rolloff Recyclers. Rolloff Recyclers, based in Woodinville, Washington, operates a fleet of recycling containers in King and Snohomish counties.

With this latest acquisition, DTG Recycle says it continues growing its container and trucking divisions, offering customers the most comprehensive container and transportation services.

“We’re excited to sell to DTG Recycle because we know they are committed to continuing our legacy of excellence,” says Dave Krah, founder of Rolloff Recyclers.

Tom Vaughn, DTG Recycle CEO, credits Dave and his wife, Margaret, and Rolloff Recyclers shareholders Lila Mourer and Alfonso Pastrana for having built a top-notch container hauling company with an exceptional reputation. “We are excited to continue Rolloff Recycler’s commitment to excellent customer service,” says Vaughn.

The Krahs also noted DTG Recycle’s commitment to sustainability and full-circle approach was notable in their decision to sell. “DTG Recycle prides itself in offering our customers true full-circle sustainability, from collection, processing and manufacturing end products,” says Vaughn, adding, “[T]his approach is integral to our success and is unparalleled in the Pacific Northwest.”

The company has purchased Busby Metals.

Ulm, Germany-based Wieland has acquired Busby Metals, headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, which it describes as an industry-leading service provider with the largest and most diverse inventory of specialized, high-performance copper-based alloys. The transaction closed Dec. 31, 2021.

Founded in 1949, Busby serves a wide range of markets around the world, with a focus on the aerospace and oil and gas industries. In addition to New York, the company has operations in Texas, Reading in the U.K., Toulouse in France and Singapore.

“Busby’s consistent and technically outstanding expertise and service, combined with their requirements-based product portfolio, have made them a true global leader in customer service and partner to customers in the aerospace specialty alloys business,” says Erwin Mayr, CEO of the Wieland Group. “Combined with the Wieland Group’s extensive global presence, technical expertise and manufacturing and service capabilities, our customers will further benefit from tailored solutions and best-in-class service worldwide.”

LiNiCo produces lithium carbonate and graphite from recycled lithium-ion batteries.

Comstock Mining Inc., Virginia City, Nevada, has increased its overall ownership of LiNiCo Corp., a McCarran, Nevada-based producer of lithium carbonate and graphite from recycled lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), from 45 percent to 90 percent. The company announced its acquisition of an additional 3,129,081 common shares in LiNiCo from that company’s founder, Michael Vogel, in exchange for 3,500,000 restricted Comstock common shares. Comstock also acquired an additional 4,075 Series A Preferred shares.

Aqua Metals, also based in McCarran, has a 10 percent ownership stake in LiNiCo Corp.

Comstock and Aqua Metals announced they will work together to accelerate decarbonization by producing renewable electrification products that support the increasingly high demand for electric vehicles. LiNiCo and Aqua Metals signed a collaboration agreement in November of last year to process black mass from LIBs into high-purity nickel, cobalt and other metals.

LiNiCo has developed proprietary extraction technologies, and its first production facility is being retrofitted and is scheduled to begin initial production with a feedstock crushing capacity of more than 35,000 tons per year during the second half of 2022. The ultimate facility capacity will be designed and permitted to handle more than 100,000 tons per year, Comstock says in a news release announcing the transaction.  

“Increasing our investment in LiNiCo was a natural extension of our plan to build high-cash generating processes that tap into massive markets and decarbonize the supply chains of increasingly scarce natural resources,” says Corrado De Gasperis, Comstock executive chairman and CEO. “We believe that LiNiCo’s pioneering extraction technologies will quickly prove to be the best, most sustainable and most valuable process for the production of lithium and other electrification products from both recycled batteries and virgin natural resources. Increasing our stake to approximately 90 percent will allow us to fully consolidate and control LiNiCo’s business plans, revenue and earnings while enabling our shareholders to participate in the expected significant positive impact of LiNiCo’s business and related proprietary technologies on Comstock’s valuation.

“LiNiCo’s partnerships and propriety technologies differentiate us from our peers by enabling the up-front extraction of lithium and the direct refining of nickel, cobalt and other metals. We are looking forward to incorporating these new processes into our facility and offering best-in-class, sustainable electrification products at a fraction of the costs,” De Gasperis adds.

Toronto-based company says it will build pilot plant for separation technology that can be used in recycling applications.

Toronto-based Innovation Metals Corp. (IMC) says it expects to start construction of a demonstration-scale pilot plant for its RapidSX rare earth metals separation process in the first quarter of this year.

IMC says its pilot plant for RapidSX technology for the separation and purification of rare earth elements (REEs) will be located at its Commercialization and Development Facility in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

“Following a comprehensive, independent techno-economic study and the subsequent design of a commercial-scale REE separation facility, IMC anticipates that the RapidSX technology will be ready for commercial adoption and implementation by IMC’s customers via revenue-producing licensing agreements by the end of 2022,” the company adds.

“I am particularly pleased with the significant progress that the IMC team has made in recent months, as we work towards the key objective of constructing and commissioning the demo plant,” says IMC Chair, CEO and co-founder Gareth Hatch. “Interest in the RapidSX technology for the separation of REEs and other critical metals is as strong as ever, and we continue to actively engage and to progress discussions with a number of third parties.”

IMC says it is commercializing its RapidSX technology to capture “a number of metals, to help enable mining and metal recycling companies to compete in today’s global marketplace” for rare earth elements.

The company says it has completed the initial design and layout of the individual RapidSX column assemblies for the RapidSX demo plant, as well as the pump and piping networks and other physical hardware required. The company describes itself as being in the final stages of selecting and subsequently procuring the components of the instrumentation and control system for the plant.

The current target for the completion of construction is the end of March, with commissioning and operation during an initial test campaign to commence shortly thereafter.

In addition to its ongoing RapidSX development work, IMC says it has been working with researchers at the University of Toronto to develop and evaluate “proprietary, cost-effective methods of reducing the quantity of yttrium in heavy-REE-rich feedstocks, prior to separation using RapidSX.

ICM describes yttrium as a low-value REE. Reducing the quantity of it in HREE feedstocks prior to subsequent separation has the potential to reduce operating costs, as well to reduce the plant size required, thus reducing capital costs, says the firm. “The work has progressed very well to date and IMC looks forward to reporting on further developments in early 2022,” states the company.

IMC says it has developed the RapidSX process to enable the low-cost separation and purification of rare earth elements, plus nickel, cobalt, lithium and other metals “via an accelerated form of solvent extraction.” IMC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada-based Ucore Rare Metals Inc.