European Training Network for Zero-Waste Valorisation of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud)

SIM2 KU Leuven's Koen Binnemans and Peter Tom Jones published a Comment article “Rare-earth recycling needs market intervention” in Nature Reviews Materials (IF = 75). The paper was co-authored by magnet expert Paul McGuiness.

Registrations are open for the Lunch Event "Recycling mining waste, a new business? (27 April 2021, 12.30-13.30 pm CET). Three experts will share their views on the recycling of mining waste, covering a variety of case studies.

In a new Journal of Cleaner Production paper, SIM² KU Leuven & University of Tartu investigated the presence of natural radionuclides in bauxite residue subjected to a neutralisation-leaching process and smelting-leaching process.

Prof. Yiannis Pontikes’ burning desire is to convert bauxite residue (et al.) into green building materials. As one of SIM²‘s founding fathers he passionately leads the SREMat Group (Dept. Materials Engineering, KU Leuven).

In the framework of ETN SULTAN, SIM² KU Leuven researchers have assessed the chemical and mineralogical characterisation of sulphidic mine waste to understand the environmental & health risks of the metals within the mine waste.

A research paper by EU MSCA-ETN SOCRATES researchers was applauded as a 2020 HOT Green Chemistry article. In this paper the authors developed novel methods for selective gold extraction from hydrometallurgical solutions.

Together with colleagues from the Universities of Bath and Leeds, SIM² KU Leuven researchers have published a critical review paper on alkali-activation of clay minerals in the journal Cement and Concrete Research.

“The Missing Link of the Circular Economy 2.0” video shows why the waste of the past cannot be consigned to oblivion. A comprehensive Circular Economy vision should, therefore, find answers for Europe’s 500,000+ landfills.

How feasible is the transition to a climate-neutral economy (European Green Deal) in terms of the availability of the required (critical) metals? During the March 12 Seminar in Brussels an expert panel tried to provide answers.

Steelmaking processes generate diverse by-products. The Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy published a review paper on pyrometallurgical valorisation techniques. However, BOF sludge, as targeted in SAMEX, remains a huge challenge.