BIO360 AFRICA 2026 - Intervenants - Elias Matinde

Elias Matinde holds a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Tohoku University and a Bachelor of Science degree Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. He is the current Manager of the Pyrometallurgy Division at MINTEK and specialises in pyrometallurgy research, technology demonstration and technology transfer, with particular emphasis on DC plasma arc furnace technology.

The role of pyrometallurgy in modern society cannot be underestimated since most industrial metals and engineering alloys can only be economically extracted and refined at scale via pyrometallurgical approaches. Although most the primary metal production processes have matured and operate optimised flowsheets and technologies, they rely extensively on cheap and abundant carbonaceous reductants, utilise energy-intensive processes to smelt and refine the metals, generate huge amounts of residual hazardous waste streams (such as slags and dusts) and produce toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. These industry-wide challenges therefore present research and technology development opportunities to reduce the environmental footprint of pyrometallurgical processes. The decarbonisation of metallurgical processes, although costly and complex, thus requires a fundamental shift on how metal production processes are designed and integrated.