Strengthening Industry-Academia Collaboration through Expert Analysis of Fly Ash Valorisation Potential

Climate Engine is proud to highlight a success story that demonstrates how university-based research capacity can support industry in addressing sustainability, circular economy, and resource efficiency challenges.

A significant achievement developed through the activities of the Virtual Laboratory for Climate Change and Technological Innovations at the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM) was the implementation of an expert analytical service for Heat Energy Ltd., Pernik. The service focused on the characterization and potential application of captured fly ash from an active suction system.

The purpose of the expert analysis was to assess the possible use of fly ash in reclamation mixtures, construction applications, and insulation materials. The work included sample preparation, chemical and mineralogical characterization, thermal analysis, agrochemical assessment, and environmental interpretation.

The complete analytical evaluation and expert interpretation of the results were carried out by the Virtual Laboratory for Climate Change and Technological Innovations. This achievement demonstrates the laboratory’s capacity to provide applied research services to industry and to support the transformation of industrial by-products into potential secondary resources.

Climate Engine’s Contribution

Climate Engine contributed to this success by strengthening the capacity of the Virtual Laboratory to provide expert scientific support to industrial partners in the fields of climate innovation, circular economy, waste valorisation, and sustainable materials.

Through the Climate Engine ecosystem, the laboratory developed an applied research approach combining analytical testing, environmental assessment, mineralogical interpretation, agrochemical evaluation, and technological applicability assessment. This enabled the laboratory to respond to a concrete industrial need and provide science-based guidance for the potential reuse of industrial fly ash.

The work demonstrates how Climate Engine supports the development of university-based innovation structures capable of delivering practical solutions for companies. It also reflects the project’s contribution to the transition towards a circular and low-carbon economy by promoting the reuse of industrial by-products and the development of sustainable material pathways.

Outcomes and Impact

This success story demonstrates the practical value of linking academic expertise with industrial needs. The expert analytical service provided to Heat Energy Ltd., Pernik strengthened cooperation between academia and industry in the field of sustainable waste management and industrial ecology.

The main outcome was the successful implementation of a comprehensive expert assessment of captured fly ash as a potential secondary raw material for reclamation mixtures, construction applications, and insulation materials.

The work applied a multidisciplinary analytical approach, including ICP-OES, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, pH and electrical conductivity measurements, agrochemical indicators, and environmental assessment. This enabled a more complete understanding of the material’s composition, properties, and potential fields of application.

The activity also demonstrated the role of the Virtual Laboratory for Climate Change and Technological Innovations as an applied research and innovation hub. By providing integrated scientific interpretation rather than routine testing alone, the laboratory showed its capacity to support companies in identifying sustainable uses for industrial by-products.

The achievement contributes to circular economy objectives by supporting the potential valorisation of fly ash and promoting resource efficiency. It also increased UCTM’s capacity to provide expert services related to climate technologies, sustainable materials, industrial ecology, and low-carbon industrial transformation.

Analytical Service Provided

The expert service submitted to Heat Energy Ltd., Pernik included a comprehensive analytical package for one sample of captured fly ash from an active suction system.

The planned analyses covered preliminary sample treatment, grinding and drying; preparation and acid digestion for ICP analysis; preparation for pH and electrical conductivity measurement; X-ray diffraction for identification of the main crystalline phases; moisture determination at 110°C; loss on ignition at 1000°C; elemental analysis of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and sulphur; ICP-OES analysis of up to 20 elements; thermal analysis up to 1300°C; determination of pH and electrical conductivity in aqueous solution; determination of exchangeable phosphorus and potassium; and determination of water-soluble sulphates.

In addition to laboratory testing, the service included expert interpretation and assessment of the results by the Head of the Virtual Laboratory for Climate Change and Technological Innovations. The interpretation covered mineralogical and technological aspects, chemical and environmental assessment, agrochemical applicability, and thermotechnical assessment.

This integrated structure demonstrates the laboratory’s ability to go beyond routine analytical testing by providing expert evaluation and practical recommendations for potential industrial application.

Advancing Circular Solutions for Industry

This achievement illustrates how Climate Engine supports the development of applied research capacity capable of responding to real industrial challenges. By enabling expert analysis of fly ash valorisation potential, the Virtual Laboratory contributed to the identification of possible pathways for turning an industrial by-product into a useful secondary resource.

The collaboration with Heat Energy Ltd., Pernik demonstrates the value of industry-academia cooperation in advancing sustainable waste management, circular economy practices, and climate-oriented industrial innovation.