Metals extraction firm, Metalysis, a Cambridge University spin-out, has been awarded £2.75m by Yorkshire Forward to commercialise its technology, set up a manufacturing plant, and create 130 jobs.

Now based in Rotherham, Metalysis has found a way to produce metals using an environmentally friendly process discovered by Prof Derek Fray and co-workers in the materials department at the university.

The process uses a molten salt with a current passing through it to turn metal oxide into pure metal sponge, which can then be processed as it is, or ground into a powder.

This process makes extraction easier and dramatically cuts the cost of metal production. This is because the metal remains in a solid state, so no melting takes place and powder is produced directly from oxide.