RAPID - compact measuring system for rapid analysis of mineral residues

In the last few years, the requirements for the disposal of mineral residues have increased, with a shortage of landfill space in many federal states. Although mineral waste can be sampled by means of conventional laboratory analyses, the evaluation of these samples, which takes days to weeks, requires interim storage of the material prior to recycling. The rapid non-destructive analysis being developed within the project can reduce this time requirement to a few hours in the future. As a result, a decision can be made at an early stage as to whether mineral residue streams can be returned to the circular economy or whether they must be disposed of, i.e. deposited. The identification and quantification of metals in solid materials is of particular interest in order to quickly classify the mixture of substances as hazardous or non-hazardous in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive and to take appropriate measures if necessary.

The aim of the joint project RAPID is to reduce the landfilling of mineral residues and at the same time to increase the mass fractions for reuse. In order to achieve this goal, a compact measuring system for the rapid determination of mineral residues based on prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) is being developed, built and tested, and evaluation procedures are being developed which allow the measurement data to be evaluated with regard to the application in the shortest possible time.