Starting in spring 2023, terra mineralia will present the research project "ZauBer - Future materials from Mining Sludge" in the form of a co-growth exhibition. It is funded within the framework of rECOmine.

What is the problem? 
The "Rote Graben" (RG) is used to drain various mines. The 400-year-old artificial watercourse is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mining Region Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří. It is heavily silted and its mine waters are very contaminated with heavy metals. Efficient, ecological and economical solutions are needed for this challenge in a timely manner.

What is the goal of the project? 
The sustainable and environmentally friendly utilisation of ferruginous mine sludge from Roter Graben. The main focus is on the recovery of recyclable materials and the development of new types of building materials. In this way, alternatives to disposal, conservation of landfill space, reduction of CO₂ emissions and ecological improvements for flora and fauna are to be achieved.

The Institute of Technical Chemistry at TUBAF works at the interface between laboratory scale and industrial process engineering. Its work focuses on the areas of raw material chemistry and chemical process development. The aim is to develop and optimise new processes for the sustainable provision of energy and chemical raw materials on the basis of primary and secondary raw materials.  

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Project management, such as resources and scheduling, such as organising regular project meetings, distributing the results among the individual project partners and reporting
• Planning, construction and commissioning of the demonstrator plant as well as obtaining official authorisations to operate the plant at the ‘Roter Graben’ site
• Analytical characterisation of the sample material taken
• Development and production of cement-free building materials based on the ferrous mine sludge obtained and the resulting slag from the smelting tests
• Creation of the mine sludge register for the most important Saxon main drainage tunnels

The Environmental Process Engineering working group at TUBAF's ITUN specialises in innovative processes for treating a wide range of liquid process streams, primarily using membrane technology.

This includes cleaning and recycling as well as the recovery of valuable ingredients and resources.      

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Development, design, construction and operation of a multi-stage membrane pilot plant for the continuous purification of the waters of the Roter Graben from heavy metals and other undesirable substances
• Use of the membrane plant to purify and concentrate the water from the chamber filter press and as a pre-treatment stage for the precipitation section
• Provision of a multi-stage small-scale membrane plant for an interactive and clear understanding of the process

terra mineralia is one of the largest and most beautiful mineral exhibitions in the world. As a TUBAF exhibition, we communicate scientific content to our visitors on a daily basis.  

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Interface between the research project and the public
• Interactive growing exhibition on the course of the project
• Offering school programmes and demonstrative experiments in the hands-on laboratory ‘Research Journey’, dialogue lecture series with project scientists, blog on the progress of the project

G.E.O.S. operates worldwide with a wealth of experience in the fields of mining, energy, environment and infrastructure. With our subsidiaries and shareholdings, our 210 engineers and specialists bring together expertise in geology, mining, process engineering and the energy industry that is unrivalled in Germany.

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Planning the mobile demonstrator plant
• Supervision of the installation of the individual components into container modules that can be integrated with each other
• Installation and commissioning of the mobile demonstrator system at the development site
• Support and monitoring of system operation at the development site
• Evaluation of the plant operation

SAXONIA is responsible for the remediation of previously unsecured or partially remediated waste rock piles in the Freiberg area. SAXONIA can draw on extensive and practically relevant knowledge in the environmental assessment of post-mining landscapes. It is also involved in various research projects dealing with the recovery of valuable materials from tailings.

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Participation in the creation of the mine sludge register
• Clarification of all necessary legal authorisation issues relating to the planned plant at the Roter Graben model site
• Coordination with the responsible authorities: Interface between the scientists and the representatives of the authorities
• Environmental and ecological assessment of the products
• Provision and preparation of documents on the Roter Graben as part of public relations work

Befesa aims to be a global leader in the management and recycling of hazardous residues in the steel and aluminium industry by continuing to play a growing role in a more sustainable world and in the circular economy.

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Knowledge in the extraction of usable raw materials from secondary raw materials
• Recycling the valuable elements extracted from mine sludge
• Knowledge of recycling materials
• Support in obtaining the necessary authorisations and notifications
• Refining

INTEC

Tasks in the ‘ZauBer’ project:

• Knowledge in exploration, securing, remediation and safekeeping of mining legacies
• Authorisation to handle hazardous substances when taking samples
• Provision of employees with specialised mining knowledge as well as shaft hoisting equipment and means of horizontal transport
• Transport of the mine sludge to the demonstrator plant
• Removal of the mine sludge
• Refinement