Special Issue "Valorization of Secondary Resources"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ismael Matino
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ICT-COISP Center of Institute of Communication, lnformation and Perception Technologies TECIP, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: valorization of secondary material and energy resources; industrial sustainability; circular economy; industrial symbiosis; environmental impact; modelling and simulation; process integration and optimization; monitoring and control; artificial intelligence; machine learning; chemical and industrial engineering; metallurgy
Prof. Dr. Valentina Colla
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ICT-COISP Center of Institute of Communication, lnformation and Perception Technologies TECIP, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: modelling; simulation; monitoring and control of industrial processes; energy systems; process industry; data analytics; artificial intelligence; machine learning; hybrid intelligent systems for industrial applications; metallurgy and material science
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are now more than 30 years from the date in which the Brundtland Report, better known as Our Common Future, introduced the concept of sustainable development. The main aim of a sustainable development is to ensure continuous access to natural resources avoiding permanent damages to the environment. According to this principle, the rate of the exploitation of primary resources must be lower or equal to their regeneration and the waste production rate needs to satisfy the ecosystem capacity to absorb them. Following these philosophies, more than 10 years ago the Circular Economy concept was introduced and became a priority in a society that requests ever more amounts of resources. Through its “take-transform-throw-take-transform-throw” recursive principle, the Circular Economy suggests the importance of resources optimization through the minimization of wastes and the valorization of secondary resources.

Secondary resources derive from wastes and residues of all industrial and public operations. Not only solid wastes are included but also wastewater and process off-gases that can be valorized through the application of process integration and industrial symbiosis solutions involving private and public entities. The valorization of any kind of secondary resource can lead to significant advantages in terms of waste prevention and reduction.

The valorization of secondary resources can be carried out through, for example, ad-hoc treatments and/or processes devoted to the sorting of particular fractions to be used as secondary raw materials or for their conversion in valuable materials/products or energy sources. Noticeable advantages can be obtained in terms of environmental, energetic, economic and social impacts. However, the valorization of secondary resources is sometimes hampered by several factors that are related to the nature and composition of wastes/residues as well as to social and political issues. For instance, the valorization of wastes and residues can be difficult if they contain dangerous or toxic compounds or if the required treatment processes generate significant emissions or are not environmental-friendly.

In addition, public awareness as well as the availability of adequate skills and training activities for the workers of both companies and public bodies can help to create a “culture” concerning by-products reuse and recycling as well as recovery of valuable material from wastes. Finally, progress in existing legislations can support removal of unnecessary obstacles and barriers that can slow the evolution towards a zero-waste society.

This Special Issue is focused on novel treatments, processes, and solutions for a sustainable valorization of secondary resources coming from both industrial and public fields as well as advanced techniques linked to the concept of Industry 4.0, such as innovative machine-learning-based modelling, data analytics tools, and optimization strategies, enabling an interdisciplinary approach to the waste minimization and resource efficiency maximization. In addition, the Special Issue also aims to cover social and political barriers and related pioneering solutions related to the secondary resources management and valorization.

Dr. Ismael Matino
Prof. Dr. Valentina Colla
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable development
  • circular economy
  • industrial symbiosis
  • innovations on reuse, recycle, recovery and regeneration of wastes and residues
  • integrated management of urban waste
  • differentiated waste collection chains (e.g., paper, plastics, glass, metals)
  • novel technologies for organic waste fraction treatment and for composting
  • biomass valorization
  • sustainable processes for the management of waste of electric and electronic equipments
  • end-of-life batteries management
  • rare earth elements recovery
  • toxic and hazardous waste management and treatments
  • construction and demolition waste recovery
  • pioneering solutions for waste sorting
  • green innovative systems for waste-to-energy
  • wastewater management (e.g. treatment, reuse, recycle)
  • industrial and public bodies symbiosis
  • process integration
  • modelling and simulation tools for improving material and energy resources efficiency
  • application of machine learning techniques and data analytics for improving secondary resources management
  • advanced optimization strategies for synergic miminization of wastes and maximization of recoveries
  • environmental-driven economy platforms
  • social and economic impacts of secondary resources valorization
  • ground-breaking solutions to social and political barriers for the implementation of resource efficiency and industrial symbiosis solutions
  • skills and training activities promoting circular economy and industrial symbiosis-based culture in industry

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Utilization of Organic Mixed Biosludge from Pulp and Paper Industries and Green Waste as Carbon Sources in Blast Furnace Hot Metal Production
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147706 - 09 Jul 2021
Viewed by 434
Abstract
A six day industrial trial using hydrochar as part of the carbon source for hot metal production was performed in a production blast furnace (BF). The hydrochar came from two types of feedstocks, namely an organic mixed biosludge generated from pulp and paper [...] Read more.
A six day industrial trial using hydrochar as part of the carbon source for hot metal production was performed in a production blast furnace (BF). The hydrochar came from two types of feedstocks, namely an organic mixed biosludge generated from pulp and paper production and an organic green waste residue. These sludges and residues were upgraded to hydrochar in the form of pellets by using a hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) technology. Then, the hydrochar pellets were pressed into briquettes together with commonly used briquetting material (in-plant fines such as fines from pellets and scraps, dust, etc. generated from the steel plant) and the briquettes were top charged into the blast furnace. In total, 418 tons of hydrochar briquettes were produced. The aim of the trials was to investigate the stability and productivity of the blast furnace during charging of these experimental briquettes. The results show that briquettes containing hydrochar from pulp and paper industries waste and green waste can partially be used for charging in blast furnaces together with conventional briquettes. Most of the technological parameters of the BF process, such as the production rate of hot metal (<1.5% difference between reference days and trial days), amount of dust, fuel rate and amount of injected coal, amount of slag, as well as contents of FeO in slag and %C, %S and %P in the hot metal in the experimental trials were very similar compared to those in the reference periods (two days before and two days after the trials) without using these experimental charge materials. Thus, it was proven that hydrochar derived from various types of organic residues could be used for metallurgical applications. While in this trial campaign only small amounts of hydrochar were used, nevertheless, these positive results support our efforts to perform more in-depth investigations in this direction in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Secondary Resources)
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Article
Mechanochemical Treatment of Historical Tungsten Tailings: Leaching While Grinding for Tungsten Extraction Using NaOH
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3258; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063258 - 16 Mar 2021
Viewed by 519
Abstract
Innovative tungsten (W) extraction techniques are continually being sought because of challenges of low leaching efficiencies, despite using advanced processing units such as autoclaves operating high temperatures and pressures. Compared to conventional leaching, mechanochemical treatment improves the efficiency of leaching. Therefore, in this [...] Read more.
Innovative tungsten (W) extraction techniques are continually being sought because of challenges of low leaching efficiencies, despite using advanced processing units such as autoclaves operating high temperatures and pressures. Compared to conventional leaching, mechanochemical treatment improves the efficiency of leaching. Therefore, in this study, an innovative mechanochemical treatment method, referred to as leaching while grinding (LWG), was employed as a reprocessing option to optimize W recovery from historical tungsten tailings. Experiments were run using the regular two-level factorial design to screen through the four factors of stirrer speed, liquid/solid ratio, temperature, and digestion time to assess their criticality and effects in the LWG process. The stirrer speed and the liquid/solid ratio were the most critical factors in the optimization of W recovery. The maximum W recovery (91.2%) was attained at the highest stirrer speed (410 rpm), low liquid/solid ratio (0.8), long digestion time (6 h), and low leaching temperature (60 °C). The attained low leaching temperature (60 °C) was due to the mechanical activation of scheelite resulting from the simultaneous grinding and leaching. For such low- grade W material, liquid/solid ratio optimizing is critical for maintaining the digestion mixture fluidity, and for environmental and economic sustainability regarding the sodium hydroxide (NaOH) consumption, which was low. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Secondary Resources)
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