Pilot plant for metallurgical processes: CIRMETAL

Infrastructures
Research areas
  • Engineering & Technology
Contact

946 430 850

(+34) 946 430 850 (International calls)

Available for external users?
Yes
Description

CIRMETAL is a unique infrastructure at both the national and European levels, dedicated to the development and optimization of sustainable metallurgical processes, with a focus on the ecological transition, industrial decarbonization, recycling and the recovery of metallic raw materials.

It integrates capabilities to address the entire value chain, from eco-design and the simulation of new materials and processes to pilot-scale validation in an industrial facility equipped with furnaces, presses, shredders and advanced analysis and control systems.

Equipment

  • Melting and casting furnaces with power outputs of up to 700 kW.
  • Plasma, thermomechanical and heat treatment systems.
  • Strip casting cell for direct strip casting.
  • High-pressure die casting (HPDC) equipment.
  • Industrial shredders, presses, mills, separators and mixers.
  • WDXRF equipment for X-ray fluorescence analysis (high spectral resolution).
  • Software and capabilities for computational simulation of processes and materials.
  • Systems for testing hydrogen (H₂), syngas and biocarbon as renewable fuels.
  • Material analysis capabilities for solid, powder and liquid samples without requiring reference standards.
Services
  • Development of new metallic alloys tailored to functional or sustainability requirements
  • Substitution of critical materials and product design offering greater geometric freedom and lightweighting
  • Electrification of high-temperature processes using induction, plasma and microwave technologies
  • Assessment of the industrial use of hydrogen, syngas and biocarbon
  • Design and validation of processes for the recovery and recycling of metallic waste
  • Industrial-scale pilot testing for pre-commercialization and scale-up validation
  • Technical consultancy and technology transfer for furnace and capital equipment manufacturers
  • Support for companies transitioning towards circular and carbon-neutral business models

Aimed at:

    - Metallurgical sector
    - Metal alloy producers and processors
    - Founders
    - Manufacturers of metal components
    - Refiners
    - Recyclers
    - Waste managers and waste processors
    - Manufacturers of equipment and consumer goods

Location

TECNALIA

Polígono Ventas, C/ Gabiria 82-84, E-20305, Irun (Gipuzkoa)

Other info
Metallurgical Processes:
- Circular Economy
- Advanced Materials

Application sectors

  • Aeronautics and aerospace
  • Automotive
  • Capital goods and industrial equipment
  • Energy and industrial thermal processes
  • Metal component manufacturing
  • Industrial furnace manufacturing
  • Railways
  • Foundries and steelmaking
  • Waste recycling and recovery

Industry plan

  • IRABAZI · Metallurgy