PyroGenesis Canada Inc. secures ownership of US-based Drosrite International

PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech firm known for its innovative plasma processes and sustainable solutions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and mitigate environmental pollutants, has announced the acquisition of full ownership of Drosrite International, a private company based in the United States.

The company acquired full ownership of Drosrite, an environmentally friendly waste management technology provider for the aluminium industry, for just CAD$1.00. Previously, Drosrite had been operated as an accounting subsidiary.

Previously, PyroGenesis and Drosrite International entered an exclusive agreement on August 29, 2019. This agreement granted Drosrite International the rights to manufacture, market, sell, and distribute Drosrite™ systems and technology across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and select Middle Eastern countries.

The purchase agreement announced on July 8, 2024, has significantly enhanced PyroGenesis’s control over Drosrite International. This increased control allows for more streamlined operations and unified management of the Drosrite™ technology and its strategic distribution.

P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis Canada Inc., said, “Not only does this acquisition clear up, once and for all, the accounting Vs legal ambiguity surrounding the relationship between PyroGenesis and Drosrite International, but it, more importantly, now provides PyroGenesis with a 100 per cent-owned US subsidiary through which we can now consider expanding our activities.”

“This is an important first step within our continually evolving international strategy for the Company.”

PyroGenesis' role in aluminium dross processing forms a crucial part of its three-tiered solution ecosystem, aligning with significant economic drivers in global heavy industry. The Drosrite™ systems fall under PyroGenesis' Commodity Security & Optimisation tier, focusing on recovering usable metals and optimising production to enhance output. This process helps maximise raw materials and improve the availability of critical minerals.

The growing concern for sustainability and environmental friendliness has intrigued the aluminium industry to consider dross recovery and utilisation. A by-product formed during the melting and processing of aluminium is called trash. When the metal is molten and undergoes oxidation, a skin-like layer appears on the surface, known as dross.

Earlier, aluminium dross was disposed of in landfills, but this practice proved hazardous to the environment. Furthermore, the industry lost valuable aluminium content and other elements in the dross by doing so. All these factors have led to profound research and development for aluminium dross processing and rescuing valuable metal from the by-product.

Until today, about 30-40 per cent of dross generation, especially from the secondary aluminium sector, continues to end up in landfills. However, extensive research and technological advancements point to significant improvement in the future. Immense research is also being conducted to reduce the amount of dross generation from both the primary and secondary aluminium sectors.

 To explain the aluminium dross process, initiatives to reduce its generation, and modern technologies to recover and recycle the by-product, AL Circle has produced a new comprehensive, industry-specific report: ‘Aluminium Dross Processing: A Global Review’. This report discusses white and black dross, their differences, carbon emissions, and applications and treatment. It also covers country-specific aluminium dross recycling, import and export, sustainability in dross processing, and a list of companies leading the way in dross management.