eirikned

• Nedkvitne, Eirik Nøst; Eriksen, Dag Øistein & Omtvedt, Jon Petter (2023). Grade and Tonnage Comparison of Anthropogenic Raw Materials and Ores for Cu, Zn, and Pb Recovery. Resources. 12(3). doi: 10.3390/resources12030033. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Primary metal production operates with large tonnages and takes advantage of economies of scale. Metal recycled from low-value waste streams, competing in the same global metal market as primary production, will be more competitive by also taking advantage of up-scaling. However, an overview of metal tonnages in low-value waste streams to see upscaling potential needs to be provided in the literature. In response, this study provides estimates of copper, zinc, and lead metal tonnages in waste incineration ash—A major waste stream going to landfills. Metal concentrations and tonnages are compared to tonnages and concentration grades found in ores. Copper, zinc, and lead concentration averages are about 3–5 times lower in ash compared to the worldwide average head grade of ores. Tonnages of metal in the ash generated from waste incineration in European countries bordering the Baltic and the North Sea are about 1/3 of mining metal output from Sweden, a leading mining country in the region. Therefore, incineration ash should be considered a significant potential Cu, Zn, and Pb metal source.

• Nedkvitne, Eirik Nøst; Borgan, Ørnulf; Eriksen, Dag Øistein & Rui, Haakon Marius Vatten (2021). Variation in chemical composition of MSWI fly ash and dry scrubber residues. Waste Management. ISSN 0956-053X. 126, p. 623–631. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2021.04.007. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Our society generates extensive amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW), which are mainly incinerated for volume reduction and energy recovery. Though, MSW incineration generates hazardous air pollution control (APC) residues that must be treated and deposited in appropriate landfills. An alternative to landfilling is material recovery, leading to regeneration of valuable products and reducing hazardous waste amounts. The chemical composition of APC residues, stemming from MSW, makes the waste attractive for metal and salt recovery, but its variation makes the development of material recovery processes challenging. This study investigates results from 895 X-ray fluorescence analyses of fly ash and dry scrubber residue samples originating from Norway and Sweden between 2006 and 2020 to explore variation in chemical composition within and between different incineration plants. The average relative standard deviation of elemental concentration in APC residue was estimated to 30% within plants. The variation in elemental concentration between grate fired incineration plants is about half of the average variation within the plants. The study also clarifies compositional differences from APC residues originating from fluidized bed incinerators and grate incinerators. Also, reported concentrations of APC residues from other countries than Sweden and Norway showed significant differences in chemical composition. The presented variations clarifies the importance of holistic approaches for waste valorization processes which can substitute stabilization processes for landfilling.

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• Emmanuel, Arun Chempanamthadathil; Rypdal, Aurora Bjarnesdatter; Okkenhaug, Gudny; French, Helen Kristine; Nedkvitne, Eirik Nøst & Sanfelix, Susana Garcia (2024). Municipal Solid Waste Incinerated Bottom Ash as Sustainable Binder Material for Concrete. Full text in Research Archive

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