This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Breakthrough in Raw Material Extraction from Inc”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
proCLIR GmbH has achieved a breakthrough in the processing of incinerator bottom ash (IBM, bottom ash, slag) with the new IRRT process: Up to 80 per cent of the dry mass can now be processed into certified raw materials. Eggersmann Anlagenbau GmbH will be the exclusive plant manufacturer of the patented process.
“The IRRT process marks the dawn of a new era in the circular economy,” says a convinced Dr Robert Eggersmann.
Dr Eggersmann is Head of Digitalisation at Eggersmann and also one of the three Managing Directors of proCLIR.
“Although the current use of processed grate ash as a base course material is already substituting building materials, it is not yet recycling in the sense of recovering raw materials. This will change with the new process. Up to 80 per cent of the dry mass can be reutilised as fully-fledged raw materials/products in accordance with the REACH Regulation and chemicals and product legislation (ECHA). Specifically, this involves the mineral content and the glass contained in the bottom ash.
“The aggregate produced with our process fulfils the strict requirements of EU 305/2011 and DIN EN 12620, which means it can be used in concrete production for high-quality building materials and replaces natural products such as sand and gravel, which are already in limited supply. At the same time, this significantly reduces the amount of waste material that has to be landfilled,” explains Claus Gronholz.
As Head of Research and Development at proCLIR, he is the mind behind the new process. Since 2009, he has been researching solutions for the treatment of bottom ash for H.U.R. Hamburg GmbH (Hamburger Umwelt Recyclingtechnologien) at its own research centre in Bispingen.
With the new IRRT process ("IRRT" for "Innovative Resource Recovery Technology"), up to 95 per cent of the aggregate contained in the ash is to be extracted and processed from now on – the company also claims a very high value of 85 per cent for glass. The processes commonly used in the industry to date do not generally provide for the processing of these materials.
According to Gronholz, glass also offers great economic potential:
“The glass produced with IRRT is so pure that it can be used for the production of foam glass, a building insulation material, without further processing. In other words, the very insulating material that plays an important role in the energy-efficient refurbishment of buildings due to its diverse properties.”
The aggregate produced using the IRRT process is marketed under the name "UltraLit®" and the glass obtained under the name "UltraSilit®".
Raw materials – not a substitute building material
With the IRRT process, raw material equivalents to primary raw materials are obtained from the IBM, which, due to their purity and quality, replace the production of these raw materials from primary resources. This is a decisive factor in establishing a resource-efficient circular economy. The raw materials produced in the IRRT process offer a significant CO 2 savings potential by replacing primary extraction. These raw materials include: … the metals: iron, aluminium, copper, stainless steel, zinc, lead, gold, silver … the glass: RC glass UltraSilit for the production of building insulation materials made of foam glass … the building product: UltraLit aggregate as a sand or gravel substitute for concrete
Metal recovery at the highest level
The recovery of metals in bottom ash is already practised in almost all processing plants due to the high material value and the simple extraction of magnetic iron in particular. Nevertheless, with the new IRRT process, proCLIR promises a new dimension in processing here too: whereas the recovery rate of previous processes for ferrous metals and stainless steel is around 80 per cent, up to 95 per cent is possible with IRRT. The recycling rate is even higher for non-ferrous metals and precious metals. Compared to the previous state of the art of up to 64 per cent, proCLIR has a rate of up to 90 per cent. This high figure is due, among other things, to the recovery of non-ferrous metals and precious metals in high-purity quality from a particle size of 0.5 mm.
Positive environmental balance
With the IRRT process, raw material equivalents to primary raw materials are obtained from the IBM, which, due to their purity and quality, replace the production of these raw materials from primary resources. This is a decisive factor in establishing a resource-efficient circular economy.
High economic efficiency
Search keyword: energy efficient building materials
