Project long title

Mechanical-thermochemical process combination for the recycling of fine fractions from waste treatment plants

Project description

Fine fractions are ubiquitous in waste management. In Austria, the mechanical treatment of various waste streams generates an estimated 1.9 million tons of various fine fractions annually, which corresponds to approx. 6.5 % of the total Austrian waste generation (excluding excavated soil). Despite this considerable amount, fine fractions are usually seen as an undesirable problematic fraction due to their heterogeneous nature, agglomeration tendency, or pollutant load, and are not reintroduced into material cycles. Consequently they are either incinerated and the residues are landfilled, or are directly deposited on landfills. However, fine fractions contain considerable amounts of materials that represent valuable resources and should be used as such. This poses a big challenge to recycling, since the dissipation of pollutants must be avoided. The motivation for the project is therefore to close material cycles of metals and mineral materials while simultaneously removing or immobilizing pollutants.

Aims of the project

The aim and innovation of the MeteoR project is to reintegrate these large quantities of currently problematic fine fractions into material cycles and to use them as a resource, thus making a significant contribution to the further development of the circular economy and the reduction of CO_² emissions in Austria. Specifically, the following interdisciplinary approaches are being pursued:

1. Characterization of fine fractions and mechanical processing,
2. Testing of thermochemical treatment processes,
3. Research on the slags resulting from this thermochemical treatment,
4. Removal/Immobilization of pollutant,
5. LCA of the investigated recovery routes as well as a systemic-waste-economic evaluation.

Funding

Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG)

Project partner

Bernegger GmbH

FCC Austria Abfall Service AG

IFE Aufbereitungstechnik GmbH

Holcim (Österreich) GmbH

RWTH Aachen University

TU Graz

University of Innsbruck

You can send a message directly to the project responsible Mister Dr. Philipp Sedlazeck by using the following form.