Yiannis Pontikes KU Leuven

Transcription

1 Embracing disruptive innovation in the pursuit of processes and products with bauxite residue: facts and figures from the past and prognostics for the near future Yiannis Pontikes KU Leuven

2 Introduction 1/2 My name is Yiannis > no famous Yiannis, but there is Yanni(s), Yanis, Ianis, Giannis and Yianis Yiannis > tavern, bar, restaurant Consensus is difficult among Greeks

3 Introduction 2/2 Born in Crete, Greece, studied in Patras, Bologna, Alfred, London, now in Leuven, Belgium, senior researcher and group leader of Secondary Resources for Engineered Materials in KU Leuven. Raised in post modern surrealism (where obvious and common sense are debatable) ended up in pursue of rationale in the land that gave birth to René Magritte, known for challenging observers' preconditioned perceptions of reality. This is actually the topic of this presentation: what is reality when it comes to bauxite residue

4 Empire of Light, Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts de Belgique Dep. of Materials Engineering, KU Leuven

5 Example 1 Red mud can not be filter pressed to a cake 25 April 2006 A Success Story. Aluminium de Grece (AdG) has installed a High Pressure Filter Press early this year, in order to progressively cease sea disposal for Red Mud. The overall cost exceeded 2 million euros. In the near future a second Filter Press is expected to be installed and then the whole quantity of produced Red Mud will be processed in this manner. The resulting semi dry product, is named Ferro alumina and there are concrete hopes for its marketing.

6 Example 2 Red mud is a waste From 2007 onwards, Ferroalumina is used in cement production in Greece and the same applies for many other countries. Other applications are in heavy clay ceramics, filler in plastics, roads etc. Yes, indeed, the total volume is still low

7 Example 3 Red mud cannot find high added value applications Alkaline & non magnetic, sodicity: 51.4 mg/g Pyrolysis bio oil from ligno cellulosic biomass Pressure, temp High purity multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), diam. 20nm to 55nm were produced via Chemical Vapour Deposition at 700 C, in 30% C 2 H 4 /He. Karachalios, T., Pontikes, Y., Kouravelou, K., Nitodas, S. Bayer s process bauxite residue ( red mud ) as catalyst for the production of low cost carbon nanotubes. International Conference and Exhibition of the European Ceramic Society. June Non alkaline & magnetic 33 % carbon content, sodicity: 28.9 mg/g Stabilized, nonacidic high energy density oil See work by Schlaf group at Guelph University, Canada

8 Example 4 Use of red mud cannot really go beyond laboratory scale AoG pilot plant facility for pig iron production and mineral wool in Greece during the FP7 ENEXAL project.

9 The above examples cover only a specific area and are not exhaustive. The message to take home is that there is work being done and that reality is region/plant specific. Prognostics?

10 1 st step: communicate!

11 (unexpected step) We underestimate serendipity, luck, coincidence and the likes The accident at Ajka created a sequence of events and brought in the surface other accidents also. The Chinese put REE export quota > to be replaced by a resources tax (?)

12 2 nd step: find the like minded ones We are building an open, inclusive and respectful network of knowledgeable individuals, the LinkedIn Coalition of the Willing : ) There are 335 members

13 3 rd step: find the partners A number of exceptional people work on bauxite residue and we try collectively to mobilize more resources. Meet Prof. K. Binnemans, Prof. B. Blanpain, Prof. T. Van Gerven, Dr. T. Jones ( ) from KU Leuven; Prof. D. Panias, Prof. I. Paspaliaris, Prof. A. Xenidis, Prof. M. Ochsenkuehn, Dr. E. Balomenos ( ) from NTUA, P. Gamaletsos and Prof. A. Godelitsas from Univ. of Athens, Prof. George Angelopoulos from Univ. of Patras, and many more.

14 4 th step: build critical mass 2 x DBOF scholarships EURARE: Development of a sustainable exploitation scheme for Europe s REE ore deposits NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENHANCED ENERGY AND EXERGY EFFICIENCIES IN PRIMARY ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION INDUSTRY 15 PhD thesis all over Europe

15 4 th step: build critical mass 15 PhD thesis all over Europe Partners: KU Leuven, UHelsinki, RWTH Aachen, KTH, NTUA, UTartu, MEAB, Aluminium of Greece, Titan Partner Organisations: UPatras, UAveiro, Bay Zoltan, Tasman Metals Funding: 3,7 M EURO

16 5 th step: set principles Zero waste Building materials industry Industrial symbiosis Mud2Metal H2020 proposal

17 Gamma dose rate in EU-MS assuming different bauxite residue addition to the mixture of bricks; * RM average activity concentrations Country (25 MS) 4 brick walls +concrete (f+c) in standard room (ngy h 1 ) *RM%=0 *RM%=10 *RM%=20 *RM%=30 Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Lithuania Luxembourg Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden UK th step: produce results Nuccetelli, C., Pontikes, Y., Leonardi, F., Trevisi, R. (2015). New perspectives and issues arising from the introduction of (NORM) residues in building materials: a critical assessment on the radiological behaviour. Construction & Building Materials. Borra, C., Pontikes, Y., Binnemans, K., Van Gerven, T. (2015). Leaching of rare earths from bauxite residue (red mud). Minerals Engineering

18 6 th step: produce results Reduced BR (mixed with 20 wt.% wollastonite, 5 wt.% graphite, 1500 C). Th Effect of acid concentration on leaching of REEs and iron (HCl, T: 90 C, t: 1 h, L/S: 50) Borra, C., Blanpain, B., Pontikes, Y., Binnemans, K., Van Gerven, T., Smelting reduction of iron oxides from bauxite residue in view of improved rare earths leaching, Slag Valorisation Symposium 2015 Ca In the paper of Gamaletsos et al., the crystal that hosts Th is identified for the first time ever; to come in 2015 Ti O

19 Instead of conclusions Reality is a convention, a photograph in time. We have moved within few years only, from sea disposal creating an azoic zone, to filter presses and valorisation of a fraction of BR. Most likely a general solution does not exist but actions targeting zero waste processes in an industrial symbiosis context have chances of becoming a reality. The timing is favorable for more processes and products with BR. Stewardship from industrial partners would accelerate the transition

20 A wild guess Small production of Fe and mineral wool and/or slag, accompanied by Al and Sc recovery. It will happen in a location with disposal problem and/or strict legislation. Marginally financially viable at the beginning. The process scale ups and gets refined. Bauxite refineries become the seed for industrial symbiosis, other plans are build around. There is mentality shift in society also. Sustainability goes higher in the agenda, customers influence industries, access to the market of products has to demonstrate green certificates. The process becomes financially viable. Small profit margins but holistic and near zero waste has an advantage over land disposal. Disruptive innovation took place. A new market and value network was created for products not used today (widespread use of mineral wool, introduction of geopolymers from the slag and new types of Fe rich binders, Sc Al alloys ) An outdate mentality considering linear process of raw materials leading to products and wastes has been just displaced and people re discover the beauty of surrealism...

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22 Thank you! Work on bauxite residue has been supported by: