Less fines production in aggregate and industrial minerals industry (LESS FINES)

Objective

Every year in Europe the aggregate and industrial minerals industry produces around 1.35 billion tons of blasted rock. During the blasting operations an amount of around 270 million tons of material, smaller than 10 mm to 20 mm is generated. This material, around 20 % of the total production, is too fine to be used efficiently and therefore has to be put on waste dumps. The aim of the project is now to reduce this amount of lost material by 50 % through the adaptation of the explosives and timing procedure to the natural breakage characteristic of the rock. The project consortium is formed of nine partners from four EU member states and consists of the two major producers of explosives in Europe, a large Swedish limestone producer, a Spanish cement and aggregate producer with 11 quarry sites and an Austrian aggregate producer (SME operation) with 3 quarries. In addition four blast research centers are partners in the project.

Programme(s)

• FP5-GROWTH - Programme for research technological development and demonstration on "Competitive and sustainable growth 1998-2002"

Topic(s)

• 1.1.3.-1. - Key Action Innovative Products, Processes and Organisation

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND METALLURGY

Address

Kaiser Franz Josef Strasse 18
8700 Leoben
Austria

Participants (8)

ASSOCIATION POUR LA RECHERCHE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES METHODES ET PROCESSUS INDUSTRIELS

France

Address

Boulevard Saint-michel 60
75272 Paris

BITUSTEIN STRASSENBAUSTOFFE GESELLSCHAFT M.B.H.

Austria

Address

Hauptstrasse 39
3721 Limberg

CEMENTOS PORTLAND S.A.

Spain

Address

C/ José Abascal, 59
28003 Madrid

DYNO INDUSTRIER A/S

Norway

Address

Roykenva
0106 Oslo

PARTEK NORDKALK STORUGNS AB

Sweden

Address

62034 Lärbro

SWEDISH ROCK ENGINEERING RESEARCH

Sweden

Address

41,Mejerivaegen 2, 1St Floor
100 29 Stockholm

UNION ESPANOLA DE EXPLOSIVOS SA

Spain

Address

Avenida Del Partenón 16, 5A P
28042 Madrid

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID

Spain

Address

C/ Rios Rosas 21
28006 Madrid