Technology transforms industrial waste into valuable minerals – Russian Gazette

A new raw material waste processing technology thrown away during the extraction of granite yields valuable heavy minerals such as magnetite, ilmenite, rutile and zircon, besides reducing the release of waste that pollute the environment.

 
 

The value of the final product exceeds by several times the price of the granite itself. By comparison, the most valuable of them, the zircon is sold on the world market for $ 3,000, while the price of crushed granite is only US $ 20 per ton.

 
 

“This technology not only creates value added in manufacturing, as to jump to a new level of profitability,” says the author of the project, Dmitry Chevtsov, doctoral student in geology faculty of the State University of Voronezh (VGU, the acronym Russian).

 
 

In addition, according to geologist, only in the region of Voronezh, the Pavlovski mining group has produced 30 million tonnes of waste with granite extraction. “This waste material grows 1 million tons per year, increasing pollution of the environment,” he added.

 
 

The lowest residues are carried by the wind, dust clouds forming harmful to the atmosphere. Also they infiltrate the soil and reach the water table, contaminating the water.

 
 

Profit X Size

 
 

VGU of Geologists studied the mineral composition of the waste and, based on that analysis, they developed an innovative technology for the treatment of the material that was traditionally discarded.

 
 

The new technology is based on granite waste division into three categories according to their size: large particles (between 5 and 2.5 mm), medium (from 2.5 to 0,2 mm) and small (less 0,2 mm).

 
 

“The first two categories can be added to the coating of asphalt and also used in the manufacture of reinforced concrete products,” says Chevtsov. However, according to the scientist, both do not bring big profits.

 
 

The major commercial interest for the processing industry is the third category, which are obtained during the valuable minerals used in any production of high technology.

 
 

“zircon is needed in the nuclear industry, without it you can not launch the peaceful atom. But he has application also in other more everyday areas such as, for example, in the manufacture of high quality enamel coating, “says the dean of the College of Geology VGU Viktor Nenakhov.