RWTH Aachen University (IME)
03 Sep 2020
RWTH Aachen University has 9 faculties and 260 institutes. With currently over 45.000 students, it is one of the largest Universities in Germany and the largest employer in the region of Aachen. The participating IME Institute represents RWTH in all research and teaching fields of “metallurgical process and the metal recycling”. Core competencies are under- and postgraduate education, practical training of process engineers as well as the development of sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective methods for the manufacturing and recycling of metal containing materials. A second research platform comprises all technologies for liquid metal processing, especially vacuum (re)melting and purification. The available know-how and equipment allows the validation of production processes for metal winning, recovery and refining. New recycling and environmental optimized routes as well as the in-house production of chemicals and powders in lab- and pilot-scale can be tested. The aim of IME is to develop innovative application oriented processes from lab to industrial scale by considering the economic and ecological aspects. A staff of 4 post-docs, 27 PhD assistants and more than 30 student helpers compose the scientific core of this institute. They are supported by 20 state approved technicians in mechanical and chemical workshops and a strong administrative staff.
In SisAl Pilot, RWTH is involved in the characterization of metal/alloy slag products in WP1, in the designing and verification of the process in WP2 and in the optimization of the hydrometallurgical treatment of the slag in WP3. Large-scale demos will be performed at RWTHs 1MW furnace facility placed from SMS group at their demo center.
