Working group "Environmental Remediation and Mineral Waste"

The thematic focus of the working group is on the development of further recycling routes for mineral residues, production residues, and wastes (e.g., ash, slag, construction waste, tunnel and excavation material, or mineral wool waste). Additionally, the research field of environmental remediation covers topics such as contaminated soils, groundwater, surface waters, landfills, leachate, and industrial wastewater.

The mobility of pollutants, which has a considerable impact on the environment and humans, plays a central role. In the area of recyclable materials, the focus is on their utilisation to generate new secondary raw materials, thereby increasing resource efficiency and promoting circular economy.

The aim of the working group is to apply interdisciplinary approaches to specifically identify recyclable materials and pollutants. Subsequently, these substances are separated from their substrates and/or immobilized to enable material flows to be fed into high-quality material recycling or to reuse contaminated soils. Innovative approaches are pursued for groundwater, surface water, and wastewater treatment to ensure contaminated water becomes safe for use again.

Schematic representation of the research area of the "Environmental Remediation and Mineral Waste" working group.

In our projects, recyclable materials and pollutants are fundamentally characterised using microscopic, spectroscopic, thermochemical, and hydrogeochemical methods. This includes investigations into the bonding type of individual elements and the incorporation of elements/substances into mineral phases. The results obtained are utilised to manipulate material flows in a targeted manner to minimise potentially negative environmental effects or maximise the potential of recyclable materials. Common chemical-mineralogical analysis methods or thermodynamic modelling in the area of water-solid interactions (dissolution and precipitation reactions) are implemented.

Theoretical approaches are tested, evaluated, and, if necessary, improved in laboratory and technical centre experiments wherever possible. Often, these approaches are then implemented in pilot plants. This approach allows for the development of customised, resource-efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions in close cooperation with participating industrial partners, as well as other research institutions in Austria and abroad.

Ongoing projects of the WG

• Sustainable Use of Tunnel and Excavation Material with Sensor Based Classification
  Short title: NNATT // Project start: 2024
  
  
• Mechanical-thermochemical process combination for the recycling of fine fractions from waste treatment plants
  Short title: MeteoR  // Project start: 2023
  
  
• CO2-reduced binding agents through thermochemical conversion of mineral wool waste combinations
  Short title: BitKOIN // Project start: 2023
  
  
• Waste-based geopolymer construction materials in the CO₂-neutral circular economy
  Short title: CD-Labor GECCO2 // Project start: 2023
  
  
• Refractory Sorting Using Revolutionizing Classification Equipment
  Short title: ReSoURCE // Project start: 2022
  
  

Other contract research projects (commissioned directly by companies, so we cannot list them here)

Organization of the waste management and recycling conference Recy & DepoTech

Completed projects of the WG (in the laste 2 years)

• Innovationen for the thermally enhanced soil vapour extraction
  Short title: InnoBLA // Project period: 2020 - 2023
  
  
• Recycling of synthetic mineral fibers
  Short title: RecyMin // Project period: 2018 - 2023
  
  
• Mineralogy and leachability of steel slags 2.0
  Short title: MiLeSlag 2.0 // Project period: 2019 - 2022

• Simultaneous recovery of nutrients (NH4- & PO43-) from biogenic raw and waste water
  Short title: ReNox 2.0 // Project period: 2018 - 2022

Other contract research projects (commissioned directly by companies, so we cannot list them here)

Group members of the WG

Leader of the WG

Dr.mont. Philipp Sedlazeck, M.Sc.
Contaminated site-/environmental remediation, wastewater treatment and waste mineralogy

Assistants

Dipl.-Ing. Paul Demschar
Biogenic Waste, Processing and Seconday Raw Materials

Dipl.-Ing. Florian Feucht
Mineralogy and Slag Mineralogy

Martin Findl, BSc MSc
Applied Mineralogy, Aqueous Geochemistry, Geochemistry, Petrology and Stable Isotopes

Thomas Kremlicka, MSc.
Crystallography and Mineralogy

Bettina Ratz, MSc
Hydrogeochemistry and Mineralogy

Alena Vydrenkova, MSc
Contaminated Site-/ Environmental Remediation, Life Cycle Assessment and Waste Management

Student employees

• Jonathan Krobatschek
• Jens Schindele

With the following form you can directly contact the leader of the working group Mister Dr. Philipp Sedlazeck.