Patents a procedure that neutralizes and values these by-products to obtain building materials
The University of Murcia has developed and patented a new procedure that makes it possible to neutralize the potential contamination of the mining metal waste from the physico-chemical extraction of the mining industry, which is particularly dangerous because of their potential acidity characteristics. This solution favors obtaining non-structural concrete or mortar, suitable for multiple uses as a construction element in land or marine works, as well as cladding, bollards, sidewalks, flower pots or other uses, both in public and private spaces.
The proposal addresses the problem arising from the high accumulation and storage of these residues in tailings and landfills from mining activities, which are likely to cause serious environmental pollution problems due to the hazardous substances they contain.
The new procedure was designed by professors María José Martínez and Carmen Pérez Sirvent from the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, and by Fernando Meseguer, physician at UMU and author of the dissertation that served as the basis for the research that led to the patent. The patented solution makes it possible to extract from this hazardous waste an inert and ecological material intended for use as a building material and which can be awarded the ‘green’ label due to its environmental qualities. In addition, the end products obtained as non-structural concrete comply with EHE-08, a regulation currently applicable to this type of concrete, which, in addition to the quality of preventing the transfer of contaminants to the environment, makes them optimal for use as products in the construction sector.
“The application of this procedure for the reuse and recovery of waste in accordance with existing legislation will contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), on the one hand by solving the environmental problems resulting from the accumulation of this type of polluting waste , such as those we can find in the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, or in the Bay of Portman, which promote the protection of ecosystems and the regeneration of heavily degraded spaces.
At the same time, it enables greater availability of raw materials by drastically reducing the exploitation of natural resources, reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and increasing dependence on imports of these raw materials. All this is in line with the current promotion of the circular economy, which is based on recent national and European initiatives, such as the ‘European Circular Economy Strategy 2030’ or the ‘European Green Deal'”, adds Professor María José Martínez.
In addition to the environmental benefits that this proposal brings, we must add the economic and social benefits, since the invention makes it possible to obtain value-added products for industrial applications from waste whose management, as hazardous waste, costs to date entails for producers and the administration. It can also be a source for generating new jobs.
The UMU has sparked the interest of several companies in this technology to carry out its industrial scale-up through the commercial exploitation of the patented procedure, which allows to close the cycle of knowledge transfer through its use by the productive fabric. Meanwhile, the university remains open to collaborating with companies and entities related to this technology, having recently conducted the international patent extension through protection in Europe and the US.
Source: La Verdad
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