From waste to resource: innovative methods for metal treasure search

From waste to resource: innovative methods for metal treasure search

valuable resource in the waste: the rise of the waste incineration ash

In German waste management, something that not only has economic importance, but also offers added value for the environment. The methodology for thermal treatment of waste has become increasingly important in recent years. In 2022, around 25 million tons of waste were processed in combustion plants and a significant part of these residues still harbors valuable materials.

added value from waste

An alarming example illustrates this: Although the waste incineration ash (MV ash) contains precious metals, it is often only used for landfill purposes. Professor Rüdiger Deike from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) notes that only 17 percent of the MV ash are practically used in road and earthworks, while most of them end up in landfill. His research group works on an innovative process that enables efficient separation of metal fractions and makes the mineral residues usable for cement and concrete production.

The process of metal recovery

The use of new technologies could theoretically extract up to 8000 tons of copper concentrate from the MV ash, which would correspond to about 2800 tons of copper, 20 tons of silver and 100 kilograms of gold. These values make the waste incineration as a potential gold mine for the cement industry, but the economic potential depends on the fact that the mineral substances can also be used sustainably. Professor Jutta Geldermann leads the calculations on the economy of the process and examines the ecological balance.

The role of project partners

A decisive player in this project is the GKS community power plant Schweinfurt, which operates an important thermal exploitation system. Together with the companies C.C. Environment and Remex, which specialize in the preparation of mineral and metallic residues, continue to work on the efficient use of these resources. Dyckerhoff, a leading company in cement production, brings its far -reaching expertise to optimize the utilization in his cement works.

sustainable resource use

A significant perspective of optimization is the possibility of reducing the dependency on natural raw materials by using waste incineration ash. If it is possible to cover only five percent of the cement industry's raw material requirements due to the recovery of ashes, around three million tons of natural materials could be saved annually.

changes for the future

The developments in waste management illustrate a clear trend towards more sustainability and improved resource use. By better preparing the waste and regaining the corresponding materials, not only the environment could be spared, but also the economic power of the cement industry could be strengthened. The work of research groups and companies such as Dyckerhoff helps to put the idea of cement from waste within reach.