FAQ

Westwin Elements is building the first major nickel, cobalt, and manganese refinery in the United States, to solve America’s critical minerals crisis: a crisis of foreign entity of concern dependency, ESG violations, and forecasted global deficits. Westwin’s primary refining process, the carbonyl process, is more than a century old and a proven, clean way to yield high purity nickel product. Utilizing mixed hydroxide precipitate as the preferred feed, Westwin will also produce cobalt and manganese residues that will be further processed in a SX-EW circuit. Ultimately, Westwin’s facility will yield high purity nickel and cobalt metal along with nickel, cobalt, and manganese sulfates.

Establishing a nickel, cobalt, and manganese refinery in America is crucial for several reasons: Improving Human Rights: Oversees ethical sourcing practices, reducing the risk of abuses in the supply chain. Supply Chain Security: Reduces reliance on imports, ensuring stability for key industries. Economic Growth: Creates jobs, stimulates innovation, and boosts local economies. Environmental Impact: Adheres to strict regulations, promoting sustainability and reducing carbon footprint. Value Addition: Transforms low-value ores into high-quality metals, enhancing manufacturing competitiveness. Strategic Importance: Ensures access to critical materials, maintaining national security.

No, Westwin Elements is not a mine. We are America's first major nickel, cobalt, and manganese refinery that employs the innovative nickel carbonyl refining process. Our facility specializes in refining raw materials ethically sourced from mines into high-quality, purified metals used in various industrial applications. ​While we do not extract raw materials directly from the earth, we play a crucial role in the refining process, ensuring the production of top-grade nickel, cobalt, and manganese products for industries within the US.

CCIDA, LEDA, and the City of Lawton have pledged $3 million total to assist with the construction of the pilot plant. The City is also building public water and sewer lines in the area to service the pilot plant. Westwin is also being funded by private individual, accredited investors. If Westwin’s pilot plant does not meet the requirements as outlined in the agreement, they will forfeit the building to the community, through CCIDA and LEDA. That building will be used as a spec building to entice other businesses to come to our community.

No, Westwin Elements does not utilize smelting to refine. Instead, we employ the innovative nickel carbonyl refining process, which offers several environmental advantages over traditional smelting methods. Unlike smelting, which involves the high-temperature melting of ores, our refining process operates at significantly lower temperatures, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. ​Furthermore, our refining process is highly efficient and produces no solid or liquid waste. It allows for the extraction of pure metals from raw materials with greater precision, resulting in fewer by-products and pollutants. Additionally, our refinery is equipped with advanced technologies and stringent environmental controls to minimize emissions and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

Westwin sources its feedstock responsibly from various suppliers globally, ensuring adherence to ethical and sustainable practices. The preferred feedstock will be sourced from mines independently audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. As we are currently under construction, we are not yet sourcing materials. However, it is our intention to transition towards sourcing metals from IRMA audited mines once operational, reflecting our commitment to responsible and sustainable procurement practices from the outset. These audits ensure that the minerals we acquire are extracted and processed in a manner that reduces harm, respects human rights, environmental standards, and community well-being. We also ensure that our suppliers meet stringent criteria, including not being majority-owned by foreign entities of concern. Through these partnerships and standards, Westwin maintains a commitment to ethical sourcing while supporting the advancement of responsible mining practices worldwide.

While new to the US, the nickel carbonyl process, originally known as the Mond Process, has been utilized for refining nickel since 1890. It's a well-established method that has been used in industrial refining operations around the world. The process has proven to be effective in producing high-purity nickel metal from various nickel-containing materials.

Our technical team boasts over 200 years of combined experience in the nickel carbonyl process. This extensive expertise encompasses various facets of refining, including process optimization, quality control, and innovation. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of the nickel carbonyl process, our team is adept at navigating challenges and ensuring efficient and reliable production of high-purity nickel metal.

High purity nickel metal/sulfates & nickel by products such as cobalt and manganese residues will help produce the following products: Nickel: Batteries (NiMH and Li-ion) Electric Vehicle Components Aerospace Alloys Powder metallurgy Medical Devices ​ Cobalt: Lithium-ion Batteries Superalloys (Aerospace Applications) Catalysts (Chemical Industry) Magnets (Electric Motors, Wind Turbines) Manganese: Steel Production (Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel) Batteries (Lithium-ion) Fertilizers (Agricultural Applications) Water Treatment Chemicals