The heat is on! - From the material characterisation of spent refractory bricks to sensor training (practical examples from Project ReSoURCE)
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Refractory products are essential for high-temperature industrial processes, from steel and cement production to waste incineration and many more. Harsh environmental conditions in these applications result in the frequent renewal of refractory lining.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Refractory products are essential for high-temperature industrial processes, from steel and cement production to waste incineration and many more. Harsh environmental conditions in these applications result in the frequent renewal of refractory lining.
Recycling paper and board from mixed waste streams: Determining data
requirements for a reliable environmental assessment
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
To increase the recycling rate of paper and board, we investigate how yet unexploited paper and board from lightweight packaging waste can be recycled. Therefore, an environmental assessment via life cycle assessment (LCA) is crucial for the project to determine if the benefits from recycling exceed the efforts needed.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
To increase the recycling rate of paper and board, we investigate how yet unexploited paper and board from lightweight packaging waste can be recycled. Therefore, an environmental assessment via life cycle assessment (LCA) is crucial for the project to determine if the benefits from recycling exceed the efforts needed.
Geophysical characterization of an industrial landfill to quantify raw materials and detect possible leakages
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Our work aims at the geophysical characterization of a landfill associated to an industrial chemical plant. The landfill is fully enclosed by a non-permeable liner around all boundaries (consisting of PVC and clay layers). The last waste deposals took place in the 1970’s, yet recent events suggest possible leakage of contaminants. Hence, it is necessary to identify failures of the liner and leaking of leachates.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Our work aims at the geophysical characterization of a landfill associated to an industrial chemical plant. The landfill is fully enclosed by a non-permeable liner around all boundaries (consisting of PVC and clay layers). The last waste deposals took place in the 1970’s, yet recent events suggest possible leakage of contaminants. Hence, it is necessary to identify failures of the liner and leaking of leachates.
De-oiling of grinding sludge: What is the potential of mechanical de-oiling
by a centrifuge?
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Grinding sludge is a waste flow emerging from semi-finished products brought to their near-net-shape dimensions by grinding. In the grinding process, up to 50 wt% of the workpiece can be grinded off (Hagedorn et al. 2022). A lubricant is constantly sprayed onto the contact point between grinding tool and workpiece to reduce heat development, to remove the emerging metal chips and to reduce friction (Klocke 2018).
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Grinding sludge is a waste flow emerging from semi-finished products brought to their near-net-shape dimensions by grinding. In the grinding process, up to 50 wt% of the workpiece can be grinded off (Hagedorn et al. 2022). A lubricant is constantly sprayed onto the contact point between grinding tool and workpiece to reduce heat development, to remove the emerging metal chips and to reduce friction (Klocke 2018).
The Role of Multispectral Scrap Characterisation and Artificial Intelligence in Efficient Steel Recycling
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Recycling of steel scrap is an important component in the modern steel industry. However, the composition of steel scrap is volatile and can contain a large range of unwanted particles, including non-ferrous metals, plastics, or concrete.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
Recycling of steel scrap is an important component in the modern steel industry. However, the composition of steel scrap is volatile and can contain a large range of unwanted particles, including non-ferrous metals, plastics, or concrete.
Improvement of Polymer Segmentation by X-ray Phase Contrast Computed Tomography
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The escalating global plastic waste generation necessitates efficient recycling methods for polymers. A major challenge in this context is the separation of individual materials from a mixture of polymers to obtain a high-quality recycled product.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The escalating global plastic waste generation necessitates efficient recycling methods for polymers. A major challenge in this context is the separation of individual materials from a mixture of polymers to obtain a high-quality recycled product.
Advancing Polypropylene Recycling: A Study on Possibilities to Improve Sorting Systems
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The current use of recycled polypropylene (PP) is still limited as the quality cannot compete with virgin PP. In addition to other influences, the mixing of different types and grades of PP during recycling has a negative effect on the quality of the recycled PP.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (12/2024)
The current use of recycled polypropylene (PP) is still limited as the quality cannot compete with virgin PP. In addition to other influences, the mixing of different types and grades of PP during recycling has a negative effect on the quality of the recycled PP.
Improving the dry magnetic separation of BOF-slag by applying an
innovative pre-treatment process
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2022)
To approach circular economy by enhancing the internal recycling potential of BOFslag, an innovative pre-treatment process for the dry magnetic separation is investigated. It consists of slow-cooling to enlarge the slag crystals, followed by microwave irradiation to generate intergranular cracks to enhance the mineral liberation during comminution. It can be shown that the pre-treatment leads to an increase in the separation degree by at least four percent. This can be further enhanced by a factor of five by using solid-state oxidation.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2022)
To approach circular economy by enhancing the internal recycling potential of BOFslag, an innovative pre-treatment process for the dry magnetic separation is investigated. It consists of slow-cooling to enlarge the slag crystals, followed by microwave irradiation to generate intergranular cracks to enhance the mineral liberation during comminution. It can be shown that the pre-treatment leads to an increase in the separation degree by at least four percent. This can be further enhanced by a factor of five by using solid-state oxidation.
Residual municipal waste composition analysis – New methods for Czech waste management
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
Relevant information about MW composition and proper forecasting of MW composition is crucial for relevant technical and economical modelling and business planning in the field of waste management. These include techno-economical models of MW treatment units, e.g. sorting line, transfer station, energy recovery, waste collection and transport or a regional waste collection and treatment system modelling (Kropáč et al. 2018) and complex business models concerning specific investments in waste management. In this context, there is a project under the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
Relevant information about MW composition and proper forecasting of MW composition is crucial for relevant technical and economical modelling and business planning in the field of waste management. These include techno-economical models of MW treatment units, e.g. sorting line, transfer station, energy recovery, waste collection and transport or a regional waste collection and treatment system modelling (Kropáč et al. 2018) and complex business models concerning specific investments in waste management. In this context, there is a project under the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic.
Environmental-economic impact assessment of business models in the Austrian waste economy
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The dynamic macroeconomic one-region and multi-sector model WIFO.DYNK (dynamic new-Keynesian) was adapted to model the employment and value-added impacts of the Austrian waste economy in this respect. It is based on the most recent input-output tables of Statistics Austria.
© Lehrstuhl für Abfallverwertungstechnik und Abfallwirtschaft der Montanuniversität Leoben (11/2020)
The dynamic macroeconomic one-region and multi-sector model WIFO.DYNK (dynamic new-Keynesian) was adapted to model the employment and value-added impacts of the Austrian waste economy in this respect. It is based on the most recent input-output tables of Statistics Austria.
