Dissolution and chemical precipitation are key unit processes in the hydrometallurgical industry. Chemical precipitation is used in industry in the manufacture of new chemicals, in the purification of water and waste water and in the treatment of process solutions, e.g. by removing impurities. In addition, expertise in dissolution and precipitation is needed in the new challenges of the circular economy, such as recycling and recovery of metals and metal chemicals. It is therefore important to understand the chemical precipitation phenomena, the factors affecting dissolution and precipitation and the interactions between them. The large industrial area of Kokkola is home to the largest concentration of inorganic chemistry in the Nordic countries, where several metals and chemicals are already manufactured using hydrometallurgical unit processes. In industrial area processes, concentrate dissolution, solution purification and precipitation are the main unit processes. The management of these core processes enables, for example, the production and further processing of existing hightech chemicals in the area. The aim of the Saostus project is to produce new research-based knowledge and expertise, especially in chemical precipitation, but also in the field of dissolution and purification (development part). The solution-precipitation reactions to be investigated are selected in cooperation with the companies, and the main focus of the project is on processing methods. Indirectly, the aim is also to provide new technologies and business opportunities for the participating companies, as well as the transformation of research and scientific results into new products and production technologies.In addition, the COSTUS project will strengthen the research environment of universities by a precipitating laboratory (investment section), which will be extended from its current scope to a complex of several reactors (including laboratory-scale reactors, supply pumps and separating equipment). In other respects, the research environments built in previous projects will be used. At the same time, the Saostus Laboratory operates as a laboratory-scale research and development environment and can be used to study septic phenomena before Chemplant pilot-scale reactors. In addition, chemicals produced in the septic laboratory will be heat treated in a heat treatment furnace acquired in the previous project and made of cells in the battery laboratory. The project will also strengthen the competence of the participating universities and higher education institutions, as well as national and international networking, and promote the business activities of the participating companies. The project also strengthens the region’s smart specialisation, as there are no similar learning and research environments for hydrothermal processes in other Finnish universities.
