Glass recovery and production of manufactured aggregate from MSWI bottom ashes from fluidized bed and grate incineration by means of enhanced treatment.

Enhanced treatment of incineration bottom ashes (IBA) from municipal solid waste incineration can contribute to a circular economy since not only metals can be recovered but also glass for recycling. Moreover, the remaining mineral fraction can be utilized in concrete as manufactured aggregate. To evaluate the effects of an enhanced treatment, three IBAs from fluidized bed combustion (FB-IBAs) and three grate incineration bottom ashes (G-IBAs) were standardly treated in a jig and further processed on a pilot scale, including improved metal recovery and sensor-based glass separation.

X-ray fluorescence sorting of non-ferrous metal fractions from municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash processing depending on particle surface properties.

A heavy non-ferrous metal fraction (< 50 mm) of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes from wet-mechanical treatment was separated by screening, magnetic separation and eddy-current separation into ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and residual sub-fractions. The non-ferrous metal fractions were divided and subjected to (i) a washing process, (ii) dry abrasion and (iii) no mechanical pre-treatment to study the effect of resulting different surface properties on a subsequent X-ray fluorescence sorting into precious metals, zinc, copper, brass, stainless steel and a residual fraction. The qualities of the X-ray fluorescence output fractions were investigated by chemical analyses (precious metal fraction and the residual fraction), pyrometallurgical tests and subsequent chemical analyses of the metals and slags produced by the melting processes (zinc, copper, brass and stainless steel fraction).