Ore processing worldwide involves smelting, leaching, flotation, etc. The targeted valuable metals are separated from the surrounding rock, contaminations and impurities that are affecting the final metal quality. Waste is generated. Such slags and tailings are usually deposited. With more and more limited primary resource availability, development in comminution and processing technology as well as changed material needs of our modern society, efforts for remining such dumps and tailings are undertaken. As an example, the rECOmine-alliance fosters technology development, training and research at test sites of the Ore Mountain region, supported by the Program WIR! of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. There, not only the valuable elements are targeted but also the remediation of the sites and a zero-waste management is focussed. Within this alliance, we are researching the potential of the residuals and waste materials for glass fibre as well as water glass manufacturing.

The presentation will show the chemical and phase composition of different waste materials, i.e. slags, tailings and remining products and will discuss the parameters and conditions for a usage in glass products. The feasibility of the manufacturing of glass fibres from waste materials will be shown, the properties of such fibres given and compared to typical glass fibres for reinforced plastics.