| Since its establishment in 1977, S.N.A.M.
has utilised its own industrial process. This process
enables the extraction of cadmium from used nickel
cadmium batteries and from their production residues and
waste. 1984 saw
the integration of S.N.A.M. into the F.W. Hempel group which led to opportunities in other
markets.
The treatment capacity
of the S.N.A.M. plant at St. Quentin Fallavier was
increased in 1990 by prefectorial decree to 1400 Metric
tons of waste per year (Arrêté Préfectoral issued by
the Préfecture de l’Isère AP No. 90-4718 dated
October 30, 1990).
On the initiative of the F.W. Hempel group, a new plant was established in the
state of Aveyron in 1988. The treatment capacity of this
new unit (Arrêté Préfectoral issued by the Préfecture
de l’Aveyron AP No. 88-1758 dated July 28, 1988 and
AP No. 97-1750 dated July 24, 1997) reached 4000 Metric
tons per year of cadmium containing waste.
In 1996, Floridienne Chimie S.A. joined the F.W. Hempel group and became a joint shareholder in S.N.A.M.
A major producer of cadmium oxide, Floridienne Chimie S.A. thus offered S.N.A.M. an
additional market opportunities for its high purity
cadmium.
For many years S.N.A.M. has
striven to both adapt and strengthen its technology. It
now extends to the treatment of all rechargeable portable
batteries. Currently, S.N.A.M. is already in a position
to treat nickel hydride batteries. Similarly, S.N.A.M. is
developing a new technology to recycle rechargeable
lithium-ion cells.
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