{"id":11917,"date":"2026-06-10T12:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kopar.fi\/?page_id=11917"},"modified":"2026-06-10T13:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T10:34:44","slug":"circular-economy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kopar.fi\/en\/kiertotalous\/","title":{"rendered":"Circular economy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Reliable material handling solutions for utilising side streams and waste streams<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The circular economy requires technology capable of processing materials with significantly varying properties compared to traditional raw materials. Kopar's solutions support the safe and efficient utilisation of side streams and waste streams, whether dealing with dry, moist, hot, or abrasive materials. Our decades of experience in material handling also provide a solid foundation for entirely new circular economy projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Interested? Contact:<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\"Harri\"\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t
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Harri Talvensaari<\/h3>\n\t\t

Director, Sales<\/p>\n\t\t

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The circular economy encompasses a wide range of processes where by-products and waste streams from industry are processed into new, usable materials. We provide material handling solutions for, among other things, utilising slag from the steel industry, recycling bed material from energy plants, and recycling battery materials, when materials need to be crushed, screened, transported, stored, or dosed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready-made solution models for circular economy materials do not always exist, which places high demands on operational reliability, durability, and adaptability. We respond to this with decades of experience in demanding material handling applications and with our pilot plant, where the behaviour of new side streams can be tested before implementation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Properly designed material handling solutions enable the transformation of by-products into valuable raw materials and support the customer's long-term sustainability goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our solutions are suitable for the transfer and processing of both dry and wet materials, from hot metallurgical slags to fine battery materials and wet sludges. We design each unit based on the actual properties of the material and the process conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our material handling solutions encompass mechanical and pneumatic conveying systems, cooling and drying solutions, screening and storage systems, as well as crushers and dosing solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it's about utilising slag, recycling bedding or battery materials, or another new side-stream application, our solutions bring technical credibility and long-term operational reliability to circular economy projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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The Kopar mechanical conveyors are designed to withstand the challenging loads typical of circular economy projects: thermal stress from hot slags, abrasion from fine dusts, and lumpy, moist materials.<\/p>\n

Screw conveyors are suitable for the transfer of dry and damp materials. The robust construction of bucket elevators is excellent for handling materials such as hot slag, granulated slag, and various industrial by-products. Belt conveyors complement the range, particularly for situations where large quantities of material are transported over long distances.<\/p>\n

Bucket elevators enable efficient vertical material transfer between different process stages. Cell and rotary feeders are responsible for precise dosing, which is an important prerequisite for quality assurance in many circular economy processes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Our pneumatic conveying systems offer a contained and dust-free solution for the transfer of fine and dusty materials. The system is particularly suitable for situations where materials cannot or should not be handled in open conveyors, such as for the recovery of boiler ash, the transfer of fine metal powders, or the clean handling of battery materials.<\/p>\n

A closed structure reduces dust dispersion, improves work safety, and minimises material waste. We use plug, dense phase, or dilute phase conveying depending on the situation, and air or, for example, nitrogen can be selected as the conveying gas. A pneumatic system is often easy to integrate into an existing plant without significant structural modifications.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Rotating drums, such as cooling and drying drums, are a core part of Kopar's expertise in circular economy projects. Cooling hot metallurgical by-products enables safe further processing of materials, and drying drums allow moist side streams to be converted into a form that is easier to handle and reuse.<\/p>\n

Cooling drums and KRC coolers are designed to withstand abrasive, high-temperature materials for many years. In particular, the ease of service and maintenance has been a focus in KRC coolers, which is a key reason for the devices' long service life. The design takes into account the actual properties of the material, the thermal loads of the process, and the required cooling or drying capacities, ensuring the overall system operates reliably in the long term.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Ensuring a consistent quality of recyclable materials often requires several consecutive processing stages. We offer a range of screening solutions to meet your process requirements, and the choice is always made based on the material\u2019s properties and the desired end result. For example, our drum screens separate up to three fractions in a single screening pass, which enables, for instance, the return of clean bedding material to the boiler and the separation of fine material for further processing.<\/p>\n

Your storage silos and associated filtration solutions, such as EMJET silo filters, ensure controlled and dust-free storage. Dosing and feeding solutions, like screw feeders, rotary valves, and butterfly valves, support accurate and repeatable material feeding at different stages of the process.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Our crushers can handle the challenging materials typical of circular economy applications, such as sintered lumps, slag pieces, and various agglomerates. Our rotor and roller crushers are suitable for both coarse and fine crushing, and their design allows for quick part changes with minimal production downtime.<\/p>\n

By combining different crushers, the desired particle sizes can be achieved in a single process step. Two crushers with rotors placed one above the other form a double-rotor crusher, and combining a rotor crusher and a roller crusher creates a combined crusher. If necessary, a system can also be built where a roller crusher is placed beneath a double-rotor crusher to achieve an even finer end result.<\/p>\n

An efficient crushing stage improves the subsequent processability of the material and increases the recovery rate of recyclable material.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Solutions for the treatment of various side and waste streams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In addition to individual pieces of equipment, Kopar designs and implements larger systems for circular economy projects. Our solutions are built around conveyors, feeders, coolers, screens and crushers, forming functional and reliable systems for various process stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We understand the specific characteristics of various by-products, whether they are hot and corrosive slags, fine dusts, or damp cinders. In our designs, we take into account the material's properties, process conditions, as well as safety and durability requirements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The utilisation of slags<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Slag from the steel industry and blast furnace slag are examples of materials previously considered waste, but which can now be refined into valuable raw materials for other industries. The handling of slag is characterised by high temperatures, the abrasiveness of the material, and dust control requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kopar\u2019s solutions enable the safe transfer, cooling and further processing of hot slag. The design is based on decades of experience in handling metallurgical materials, and the functionality of the solution can be verified in advance at a pilot plant if required.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Recycling of bed materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recycling the bed material from fluidised bed boilers is one of the most tangible ways to reduce a plant\u2019s operating costs and waste load. Whether sand or granules made from blast furnace slag are used in the process, the objectives are the same: to reduce the need for new material, remove sintered material and return clean bed material back to the boiler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complete Kopar solution typically includes a collecting funnel, a cooling screw conveyor, a drum screen and a pneumatic conveyor, along with associated piping and fittings. The shortest payback period for the investment has been around one year.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Recovery of battery materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Battery recycling is a growing sector of the circular economy, in which critical metals are recovered from used batteries for reuse. The processes require clean handling, precise dosing and the avoidance of contamination \u2013 the same requirements that apply to the manufacture of battery chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kopar's pneumatic and mechanical conveying systems, closed storage solutions, and precise dosing equipment are suitable for the safe handling of battery materials as part of the various stages of the recycling process.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Handling of damp and wet materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not all recyclable side streams are dry. For the transfer of sludges, slurries and other moist bulk materials, we offer solutions using screw conveyors and belt conveyors, among others. If necessary, the material can be dried in a rotary dryer before further processing, making it easier to handle.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The pilot plant ensures the functionality of the solution in advance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Many circular economy projects involve materials where more information is needed about their behaviour before final design decisions are made. At Kopar\u2019s pilot plant, the behaviour of more unusual by-product and waste streams can be investigated in advance, which reduces the risks associated with commissioning and improves the operational reliability of the overall solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of applications tested in the pilot plant include mineral sands and various anomalous metal dusts, the sizing of which benefits from material-specific pre-testing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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