Mineral wool waste is considered difficult to recycle and is receiving increasing attention considering the upcoming landfill ban in Austria. At the same time, the availability of blast furnace slag (BFS), a key secondary raw material in cement production, is steadily declining. The BitKOIN project investigates the thermochemical transformation of mineral wool into a usable and chemically stable fraction. At the Chair of Thermal Processing Technology, the focus lies on high-temperature processes that destroy the potentially hazardous fibrous structure and enable targeted chemical modification through combination with other residues (correction materials). A subsequent wet granulation process produces a material comparable in composition and properties to BFS. The technical performance of the recycled material as a clinker substitute is assessed through laboratory and large-scale trials. BitKOIN thus contributes to the decarbonization of the cement industry and demonstrates how industrial residues can be integrated into a functioning circular economy.

Contact Person

Dr.mont. Philipp Sedlazeck, MSc - Chair of Waste Processing Technology and Waste Management

E-Mail: philipp.sedlazeck(at)unileoben.ac.at

Tel.: +43 3842 402 5111

https://fti-ressourcenwende.at/en/projects/bit-koin.php

Other involved chairs: Thermal Processing Technology