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Making mining more sustainable with fully recyclable PU screens
The mining industry is on a drive to improve its waste management and reduce its environmental impact. We offer a material and machine solution that allows worn-out screens to be reintegrated into the production process by mechanically recycling them.
Story · July 20, 2022
Recyclable composite insert for screens: key to a single stream
Using a process called regrind recycling, any manufacturer can use our expertise in mechanical recycling to create a granulate from worn-out polyurethane-based screens. Our Baulé® Granules processing unit allows them to incorporate pellets, which can then be used as fillers in newly cast PU. This module works seamlessly with many of our existing Baulé® machines and allows for the mixing and metering of filled components into cast polyurethane production.
To replace the metal insert in screens, we tested and validated a new PU pultruded insert that delivers high stiffness and rigidity. In parallel, our Desmodur® MDQ75164 is the material of choice to significantly increase the wear resistance of the PU screens themselves, extending the lifetime of the components.
This result is an all-recyclable solution for mining screens that creates a single recycling stream for the reuse of waste material. At the end of their useful life, single-layer screens with the new composite insert can be reused as a granulate input for the bottom layer of new dual-layer cast PU screens. Recycled material becomes part of mining production, making the process more sustainable.
Scrap is unsustainable. Our versatile solution puts an investment value on scrap and reduces material waste. It also extends the lifetime of the screens. Our team of experts tailored this screen application to fit the needs of the mining industry. The new process brings mechanical recycling to screen production, enabling the mining industry to produce more sustainably and contribute to a more circular economy.
Watch our webinar on the innovative solution we developed to allow for mechanical recycling of cast PU screens:
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Waste management: a sustainability issue for the mining industry
The mining industry is being squeezed from many sides. Just as the drive for efficiency and cost reduction is intensifying, the industry is also coming under public, economic and regulatory pressure to reduce its environmental footprint and develop more sustainable mining practices. In particular, reducing scrap in the production process and improving waste management are key to increasing sustainability in mining. Sorting materials such as ore and minerals is a vital mining process, but also potentially a major source of scrap. The separation process uses a range of different screens, each designed to handle a specific sorting task, with the size of the aperture and presence of an insert determined by the type and size of mineral aggregates being processed.
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Making mining more sustainable with fully recyclable PU screens
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