M-class asteroids carry nickel-iron cores at concentrations no terrestrial ore body can match, laced with platinum-group metals at economically extraordinary densities. Overby Industries refines this material in orbit, delivering structural metal and PGM stock without a single tonne of overburden ever touching Earth.
Terrestrial nickel mining moves tonnes of waste rock for every kilogram of usable metal. M-class asteroid material arrives at the refinery already close to pure metallic composition, so Overby's processing chain focuses on separation and electrochemical purity rather than large-scale ore beneficiation.
Platinum-group metals are recovered using a chloride volatilisation process adapted for vacuum operation — no cyanide, no tailings pond, no liquid effluent of any kind.
Raw metallic ore delivered from miner pods or debris reclamation is mechanically fragmented into a uniform feedstock size, sized for the electromagnetic separator intake.
Rotating drum electromagnets pull ferrous and nickel-iron fractions from any residual silicate contamination, producing a high-purity metallic feedstock stream.
Molten salt electrolysis deposits pure nickel and iron at the cathode, leaving cobalt and PGM-bearing residues concentrated in the anode sludge for downstream recovery.
Anode sludge is treated with a closed-loop chlorine gas cycle that selectively volatilises platinum-group metal chlorides at controlled temperatures, separating PGMs from base-metal residue with no liquid reagent discharge.
Volatilised PGM chlorides are captured and thermally reduced back to metallic platinum, palladium, iridium, and rhodium — sealed in armoured canisters at certified purity grades.
Refined nickel-iron and cobalt are cast into standardised structural ingots for Starlifter II cargo loading. Chlorine reagent is fully recovered and recycled into the next processing batch.
One refining line produces the full range of metallic products the Overby network depends on — from bulk structural ingots to certified-purity PGM canisters bound for the LEO Space Dock market.
The primary structural metal for habitat framing, pressure vessel components, and heavy manufacturing tooling — cast in standardised ingot dimensions for direct fabrication use.
Recovered cobalt supplies high-density battery cathode production and high-strength superalloy manufacturing for propulsion and reentry-rated components.
Platinum, palladium, iridium, and rhodium at certified purity grades — critical for catalysis, high-reliability electronics, and fuel cell systems, sealed in armoured canisters.
Ferrous and nickel-alloy fractions recovered from LEO debris reclamation feed directly into the same refining line, reducing dependence on primary asteroid extraction.