Background
Brickworks is Australia's largest brickmaker and concrete products manufacturer with operations both in Australia and United States. They are continuously looking for innovations to improve both processes and plant efficiencies while improving their environmental sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint.
Challenge
Brickworks are seeking the most efficient production techniques suitable for large scale production of super fine materials of under 5um, for use as a pozzolan in concrete products or as an oxide in fired clay or concrete products. Examples of starting materials are given below...
- Unclassified Fly Ash (300um top size)
- Crushed and calcined kaolin, basalt, greywacke, sandstone (10mm top size)
- Crushed basalt or greywacke (10mm top size)
- Crushed and calcined ceramic iron/ manganese/ aluminosilicate oxides (10mm top size)
Grinding methods must target one or more of these types of materials. Ceramic oxides will have a mohs hardness of 6-8. Calcined natural materials will range from mohs hardness of 3-6. Methods based on established jet milling, bead milling or ball milling are appropriate, provided these are compatible with efficient large scale production operations. New and proven milling, grinding or other size reduction methods are also welcome.
Large scale manufacturing will ultimately require production of up to 100 tonnes per day. Grinding methods must be able to run efficiently at scale. Pathway to large scale production will start from proof of concept, followed by a pilot plant producing 10 tonnes per day to determine final design for a large scale operation.
What's in it for you?
A successful collaboration could mean, for individuals, becoming part of the wider Brickworks group, while for organisations, forming a potential partnership with one of the world’s most iconic brands to co-develop and co-launch the idea to market.
This is a global challenge and Brickworks are willing to collaborate with both individuals/freelancers and other industry participants/universities etc. and solutions can be at any stage of development.
If you have or are developing solutions, or if you have expertise in the above, please click "Apply" to submit your solution/expertise to the Network.