ULiege takes part in the ECWALI project
The University of Liège is taking part in the ECWALI project (Circular Economy in Wallonia of aluminium alloys and stainless steels) which aims to achieve similar added value by going further in the sorting of aluminium and stainless steel alloys. The GeMMe and PEPs laboratories and the Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) will be particularly involved.
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he GeMMe research group (UEE/School of Engineering) of the University of Liège (“ULiège”) announces its participation in the ECWALI project for the development of a “circular economy of aluminum alloys and stainless steels in Wallonia”, involving a consortium of nine Walloon partners covering the product value chain, from recycling to the manufacture of specialized steels. The total budget of the ECWALI project is 15.8 million Euros, the Walloon Region providing funding of 10.1 million Euros. The project will be developed under the coordination of Comet Traitements S.A. (“Comet”), a subsidiary company of Groupe Comet, a Belgian innovative company processing and recycling shredder residues (SR) which are by-products of the shredding of metallic wastes (End-of-Life Vehicles or “ELV”, Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment or “WEEE” and collected scrap).
ECWALI is part of the Reverse Metallurgy+ portfolio submitted by the Reverse Metallurgy platform as part of a call launched by the Walloon Government for the implementation of the Circular Wallonia strategy which includes two priority value chains, metallurgy and construction. A total of 18 projects were selected and cover the themes of "low-carbon industry" and "circular economy", two pillars of the Wallonia Recovery Plan for which the Walloon Region has mobilized 113 million Euros. The 18 funded projects have a job creation potential of 991 direct jobs and 1,524 indirect sustainable jobs in sustainable sectors of activity.
As part of the PICKIT project implemented in the first phase of Reverse Metallurgy, the GeMMe successfully demonstrated the recycling of metal scraps by families of alloys. This success convinced Comet to exploit the technology at the industrial scale with the COOPILOT MULTIPICK project. This project’s objective is to sort non-ferrous metals (copper, zinc, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, lead) using 16 robots taking their sorting instructions from a bench of sensors installed at the head of the processing line (3D, hyperspectral and XRT).
ECWALI focuses on the specific sorting of aluminum and stainless-steel alloys to provide increased added value to the final products. Indeed, the aluminum and stainless steel sorted by MULTIPICK, or by other sorting systems used at non-ferrous metal recyclers facilities, are mixtures of different alloy grades generally remelted for low-end applications. Sorting specific alloys will generate added economic and environmental value. Indeed, the environmental gain generated by the recycling of alloy elements (Cu, Si, Mg, Mo, Cr, Ni) in their original functionality via a process and a shorter circuit is significant.
The purpose of the ECWALI project is therefore the integration and industrialization, in the MULTIPICK line on the Comet site, of LIBS and XRF analytical sensors and data processing algorithms. These algorithms will exploit data generated by 3D, hyperspectral, XRT, XRF and LIBS sensors as well as the most recent developments in artificial intelligence (Deep Learning) with the aim of sorting aluminum and stainless-steel alloys to maximize the added value and environmental gain associated with the sorting of these flows.
The recovery of end-of-life metals allows the buildup of a metal stock that replaces production from primary ore involving extraction, processing, refining and transport. Beyond the environmental gain and the lessening of dependence on imported metals in the case of alloying elements (Cu, Si, Mg, Mo, Cr, Ni), the energy impact concerning aluminum (Al) is substantial. Indeed, the production of one ton of Al from end-of-life metal consumes is approximately 20 times more energy efficient than the production of the same ton of Al from bauxite (raw Al ore). The prospects for valorization of the technology and its deployment on the world market are therefore favorable.
The participation to the ECWALI project marks a further significant milestone in the long-term development plan of the GeMMe and ULiège in the management of metallic and mineral resources and in the field of recycling. Back in 2013, ULiège and the GeMMe were first instrumental in developing « Reverse Metallurgy », a EUR 60 million major Belgian circular economy project focused on metals linking industrial and academic partners within a Regional Technological Innovation Partnership to improve the recovery of metals from end-of-life products and complex raw materials.
The “Reverse Metallurgy+" portfolio, of which ECWALI is a part, aims to leverage the heritage of Reverse Metallurgy for the energy and digital transitions by functionalizing the links that unite three themes : Energy, Digital and Materials of the Future. New processes and technologies are the driving force behind Reverse Metallurgy+ in order to optimize local resources and reclaiming supply chains. The ambition of Reverse Metallurgy+ is to be a vector of reindustrialization for Wallonia, in particular by stimulating the creation of economic and human added value through the development of a unique know-how essential for the jobs of the future.
ULiège will participate in the ECWALI project through three research entities
- The GeMMe is a research group specialized in georesources, mineral engineering and extractive metallurgy. Drawing on a long tradition of research in the extraction and processing of primary ores, the GeMMe contributes to the development of disruptive processes for the efficient management of mineral and metallic resources through its mastery of characterization, innovative sorting and hydrometallurgy techniques applied to urban ores.
- The CSL (Centre Spatial de Liège) recognized by ESA as a center of excellence in optics, specializes in the calibration of instruments in the space environment as well as in the development of optical instruments covering a wide range of electromagnetic radiation ranging from X-rays to THz. The CSL brings together broad expertise deployed in R&D for space and terrestrial applications: optical design, on-board electronics, non-destructive testing, spectroscopy, thermos-mechanics, cryogenics, vacuum technologies, satellite data processing and surface engineering.
- Within the Chemical Engineering Research Unit, the PEPS group (Products, Environment, and Processes) is active in the fields of (bio-) chemical reaction engineering, thermal and mechanical unit operations, process simulation, low carbon energy systems and sustainable development. Most specifically, PEPs will use its expertise in eco-design and environmental assessment of processes and products based on life cycle analysis.
The ECWALI project activities will be carried out over a period of 4 years. Based on processes demonstrated at TRL stages 3 to 6 at the start of the project, the various technologies will be demonstrated at TRL stages 6 to 8 on the Comet industrial site.
Contact
Senior Research Officer, GeMMe research group, ULiège
