Materials Processing Strategies for Valorizing Industrial Residues in Construction: Mechanical Separation, CO2 Mineralization, and Metal Recovery/Stabilization

Building a roadmap for integrating processing strategies for waste valorization with potential across multi-categories of industrial residues (metallurgical slags/residues, power-plant ashes, and mine wastes) is an emerging trend. This roadmap [1] seeks to address common industry questions regarding the most suitable valorization approaches for different industrial residues generated in plants based on specific conditions. The effective strategies involve specific technologies such as mechanical separation, CO2 mineralization, and metal recovery/stabilization—all of which extend the value of industrial residues before they can be largely incorporated into construction applications, supporting waste digestion and reducing direct disposal. This talk discusses route competition, research needs, and lab-industry disconnections in the roadmap, and presents two main cases: copper mine tailings and Waste-to-Energy (WTE) residues.