Secondary Products

Program Overview

This Secondary Products Program is all about resource conservation and innovative utilization. It focuses on beneficial use of mineral-based secondary products generated by mining and other industrial activities, with an eye on their potential for value-added product development and innovative technology uses, their potential environmental impacts, and their resource conservation attributes. This is all within the context of sustainability and a circular economy.

Program Goals

1. Maximize mineral resource utilization
2. Identify, quantify and characterize mineral-based secondary products/materials
3. Raise awareness about what’s out there and about how these materials could be beneficially used
4. Find and match these mineral-based materials end-uses to other resources
5. Pursue value-added product development and technology opportunities

Unique Strengths, Expertise and Capabilities

• This unique program makes the most out of what is mined, processed, and generated by mining and other mineral-based industrial activities. 
• The NRRI team has over 30 years of experience in this area and understands the resources involved and the interdisciplinary connections. 

Recent Projects, Partners

1. Taconite as a Lower Cost Alternative High Friction Surface Treatment for Low Volume Roads in Minnesota. Partners: Local Road Research Board, MnDOT, St. Louis County, UMD, and UMTC
2. Making Cement at Ambient Temperature Using 55% MSW Ash. Partners: Designs by Natural Processes, Inc., Sandia National Laboratory, DOE 
3. Re-use of Regional Waste in Sustainably Designed Soils. Partners: MnDOT, UMD, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Duluth Seaway Port Authority
4. Optimized Taconite-Based Pavement Repair Compound and Deployment System. Partners: MnDOT, UMD, City of Duluth, Duluth Airport Authority