Sieć Badawcza Łukasiewicz – Instytut Metali Nieżelaznych w Gliwicach
The Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, headquartered in Gliwice (ul. Józefa Sowińskiego 5), is a research institute operating within the Łukasiewicz Research Network, registered in the Polish National Court Register under KRS 0000853498; its principal activity according to the KRS is research and experimental development in natural sciences and engineering. The institute was established by the Ministry of Metallurgy on 1 January 1952 and has served the non-ferrous metals industry for more than 70 years; since 1 April 2019 it has been part of the Łukasiewicz Research Network. According to its website, it employs 500 people at four locations – Gliwice and branches in Skawina, Legnica and Poznań – and runs ten research centres.
Its work covers all stages of the production and processing of non-ferrous metals – from ore processing through pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical technologies to materials manufacturing, recycling of production waste and environmental protection. The research centres deal with, among other things, mineral and secondary raw materials processing, extractive metallurgy, hydro-electrometallurgy, environmental protection, analytical chemistry, advanced materials technologies, functional, powder and composite materials, light metals (Skawina) and chemical power sources (Poznań). The Analytical Chemistry Centre is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 (AB 274) and ISO 17034 (RM 006) and produces certified reference materials. According to the institute, it is the only Polish manufacturer of aircraft batteries and thermally activated reserve batteries.
In the circular economy, the institute develops complete technologies for waste processing and metal recovery, including critical raw materials, beneficiation methods for primary and secondary raw materials, and life-cycle assessments. The Metals Recycling Centre in Legnica develops technologies for recovering lead, tin and antimony, tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and cobalt from production waste and spent catalysts, as well as zinc, copper and precious metals; the Hydro-Electrometallurgy Centre develops technologies for the copper and zinc industries. As an IGMNiR member, Łukasiewicz – IMN represents the research and development base of the non-ferrous metals and recycling industry.