The Division Thermochemical Residues Treatment and Resource Recovery develops and investigates thermochemical processes for the treatment of waste and residual materials. Process developments are often carried out in close co-operation with industrial partners. Various thermal units are used for this purpose, from laboratory to small industrial scale.
Resource conservation through the recovery of critical raw materials, the promotion of a sustainable circular economy and the environmental compatibility of processes and products are at the centre of the research work. For mass residues from the construction sector and industrial productionas well as for lightweight materials like CFRP, the most sustainable recycling routes and utilisation methods are developed and investigated. Advising authorities, politicians and industry ensures a practice-orientated transfer of specialist knowledge and the application of the results.
It is important to increasingly utilise waste as a source of secondary raw materials. When they are used, pollutants can enter the environment and contaminate soil or groundwater, for example. The behaviour of pollutants in different environmental media is therefore being investigated using a variety of methods.
Even with sustainable waste management concepts, landfills cannot be completely dispensed with. However, these must be safe and environmentally compatible. The department is an approval body in accordance with the Landfill Ordinance for geosynthetics, polymers and series-produced sealing control systems for landfill liners.