ECWALI is part of the Reverse Metallurgy+ portfolio submitted by the Reverse Metallurgy platform as part of a call launched by the Walloon Government to implement the Wallonie Circulaire strategy. It covers two priority value chains: metallurgy and construction. A total of 18 projects have been selected, covering the themes of “low-carbon industry” and “the circular economy”, two pillars of Wallonia’s Recovery Plan, for which the Walloon Region has mobilised €113 million. The 18 projects funded have the potential to create 991 direct jobs and 1,524 indirect sustainable jobs in sustainable sectors of activity. As part of the PICKIT project implemented in the first phase of Reverse Metallurgy, GeMMe successfully demonstrated the recycling of scrap metal by alloy family. This success convinced Comet to exploit the technology on an industrial scale with the COOPILOT MULTIPICK project. Walloon Region Recovery Plan – Project presentation film ECWALI focuses on the specific sorting of aluminium and stainless steel alloys to bring greater added value to the end products. Indeed, the aluminium and stainless steel sorted by MULTIPICK or by other sorting systems used in non-ferrous metal recycling facilities, are mixtures of different qualities of alloys generally remelted for low-end applications. Sorting specific alloys will generate added economic and environmental value. Indeed, the environmental gain generated by recycling alloy elements (Cu, Si, Mg, Mo, Cr, Ni) in their original function via a shorter process and circuit is significant.
Targets and results:
The aim of the ECWALI project is therefore to integrate and industrialise LIBS and XRF analytical sensors and data processing algorithms in the MULTIPICK line at the Comet site. These algorithms will exploit the data generated by the 3D, hyperspectral, XRT, XRF and LIBS sensors as well as the most recent developments in artificial intelligence (Deep Learning) with the aim of sorting aluminium and stainless steel alloys to maximise the added value and environmental benefits associated with sorting these flows.
