Extracting copper from waste ashes

by: Mirjam Visser, 2011-11-26 18:08:26 UTC
Sustainability Aspects: recovery from copper from incinerator ashes

copper plates

Copper is getting rare and within 20 years the resources are finished, sooner then oil. Incinerator ashes contain more copper then copper ore which till recently was not recovered. The ashes are used as material to give height in construction of highways etcetera, the copper can then pollute groundwater.

Elemetal developed a chemical process to wash the copper out of the ashes with as output pure copper. The amount of copper per waste incinerator is easily 2 million euro a year. Their, great, business model is that they provide the mobile installation and the profits from the copper sale are split between incinerator and Elemetal. A great example of upgrading. Elemetal has applied for a world wide patent on their invention and received several awards.

Designer: Elemetal
Manufacturer: Elemetal
Category: recovery
Websites: www.elemetal.eu/en/solutions

Images

6fc64dc0-fb4c-012e-9be4-4040823e9e3d
copper plates
6fc64dc0-fb4c-012e-9be4-4040823e9e3d
copper plates
by elemetal

Comments by our Users

Be the first to write a comment for this item.

Welcome

@ D4S, a platform by designers for designers, sharing ideas and knowledge on sustainable design
Learn more |  Leave Feedback
We are not-for-profit and want a trustworthy, independent site without advertisements.


If you like to use D4S please donate to enable us to pay hosting fees and extend the site. Thank you for your support!
Join us on LinkedIn