Poraver® Brings a Unique Recycled Glass Product to Ontario
Since the inception of the “blue box” and other recycling programs, markets have been scarce for the mixed coloured glass bottles and jars collected. In 2003 alone, Ontario municipalities collect approximately 180,000 tonnes of glass through their blue box initiatives. It has become apparent that finding viable markets for recycled materials is vital to the overall success of the blue box programs.
Now, there is a revolutionary advancement in the consumption of recycled glass on the horizon for Ontario. A new manufacturing facility, unique to North America and capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes per year of mixed, broken, coloured glass, is being constructed north of Toronto on Highway 400 just past the Innisfil Beach Road interchange. Employing proprietary European technology, patented worldwide, this plant will convert recycled glass into a glass microsphere product called Poraver®. These small spherical grains can be used as an aggregate in a wide variety of construction materials including concrete and mortars, as a lightweight packing material, in a variety of plastic and resin compounds and for both thermal and acoustic insulation. As such, Poraver makes an excellent lightweight, low-cost alternative to other types of fillers such as EPS foam pellets, plastic and even sand.
“We have a proven technology that converts mixed glass into high value product” said George Morandin, Poraver North America’s CEO. “It turns recycled glass into a range of consistently sized spheres that are lightweight, but strong and versatile, so they can be used for many industrial applications. PoraverTM spheres are used by some of the largest manufacturers in the world in applications that include masonry adhesives, pre-cast concrete, ceiling tiles and even waste water systems, and new uses are continually in development.”
Poraver brings innovation, lightweight, thermal
and acoustic insulation values to classic concrete blocks
Produced in Europe for more than 15 years, the raw material for Poraver includes the fine glass shards that, for technical reasons, cannot be recycled by the glass industry into new standard glass products. This glass is ground into a fine powder in large mills. Water, and other agents are then added to the mix. The resulting glass mixture is given its round shape during the manufacturing process and then expanded at approximately 900º C. The expanding process generates a fine-pored, creamy white, round granulate, entrapping minute air chambers inside (making the product “light as a feather”). After cooling, the product is sieved and sorted into 6 granular sizes, stored in large capacity silos and delivered to customers in bulk tanker trucks, containers, large bags or individual sacks.
Not only does Poraver protect the environment by utilizing only recycled materials in its manufacture but it also offers a host of other advantages in terms of its physical properties as a glass-based product. Poraver is highly compression-resistant, highly heat insulating, chemical resistant, weather proof, incombustible, solvent-free and has excellent sound-absorption properties. In addition it is anti-allergenic and does not offer a breeding ground for fungus, spores or pests. Sandwell is providing engineering design, procurement and construction management services for the new facility and processes scheduled to be in production by the summer of 2007.
