Torxx signs glass processing agreement

Torxx Kinetic Inc., an equipment maker based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, has signed a partnership agreement with the Opta Glass and Opta Waterdown Inc. divisions of metallurgical and construction materials producer Opta Group LLC.

The agreement pertains to Amherst, New York-based Opta Group’s production of a supplementary cementitious material made from residual or difficult-to-market glass generated at material recovery facilities (MRFs). Through the partnership, Torxx says its Pulverizer technology will play an "integral" part in Opta's confidential processing apparatus.

According to Torxx, Opta’s newly manufactured premium ground glass pozzolan material will help dramatically reduce the amount of portland cement needed to prepare high-quality concrete and provide a new option to replace traditional supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, blast furnace slag and silica fume.

The equipment maker says some traditional cementitious materials are in diminished supply while the production or use others “poses increasing environmental concern.”

The production of portland cement used in concrete is responsible for approximately 7 percent of total global CO₂ emissions, Torxx says, thus, replacing a portion of the portland cement with postconsumer ground glass can significantly reduce concrete’s carbon footprint.

“As a bonus, ground glass pozzolans make use of a readily available regional [discarded] material that is often landfilled instead of recycled,” Torxx says.

Processed into a fine powder, ground glass pozzolans can replace up to 40 percent of portland cement in a mix and can also improve concrete’s workability and freeze-thaw resistance, adds the technology provider.

The Torxx Kinetic Pulverizer (TKP) is a recycling size reduction machine with a low cost of ownership using a more reliable and durable technology, the company says. The TKP smashes input materials against themselves at high speed, thereby pulverizing hard materials and tearing softer materials into a fluff, creating a smaller output than traditional shredding equipment.

Torxx says suitable applications for the TKP include waste-to-energy processes, construction and demolition (C&D) materials processing, composting and other recycling applications.