Background and aims of the project
Within the scope of this project, an economic process is to be developed with which valuable metals (e.g. Cu, Au, Ag and Al, associated with other heavy metals) can be separated as far as possible from the fine fraction of waste incineration slag (MV slag: < 3mm), of which about 1.5 million t are produced annually in Germany, in a combination of different processing techniques and returned to the material cycle.
However, the economic viability of such a process is only given if the mineral residual fraction, which subsequently exists in finely ground form and makes up the majority of the material, can be put to high-quality use as an alternative raw material within the framework of open-loop recycling.
Consequently, the most important goal of the project is to present the finely ground mineral fraction so cleanly that it meets the qualitative requirements of the cement industry in order to be able to be used as a raw material component in clinker production. At the same time, this has the advantage that less CO2 is released during deacidification in the cement plant compared to natural resources. As a result, MV slag would be a permanent source of raw materials for the cement industry in the future, which would contribute significantly to a sustainable increase in raw material productivity and to the conservation of natural resources and landfill areas. VDZ is responsible for sub-project 8 (scientific monitoring and mineral analysis) in the project.
