Aleluia Cerâmicas collaborated in the development of bio-calcite tiles in the LIFE EGGSHELLENCE project by MCS Portugal

MCS Portugal recently presented results of the LIFE EGGSHELLENCE project, a collaboration developed in partnership with the Life 2014-2020 program, and financed by the European Commission’s Program for the Environment and Climate Action.

This project was born from the identification of the residue quantities derived from the eggs processing industry sector (shells), and the environmental impact which this causes, in alliance with the ceramic industry’s necessity to reduce the use of non-renewable raw materials.

As such, and based on a concept of circular economy,from a sustainability perspective and in an effort to reduce residues, the LIFE EGGSHELLENCE project is born, focused on demonstrating the technical viability of using egg shells as a secondary raw material in the production of ceramic tiles.

This is possible thanks to the development of a prototype which allows for an industrial pre-treatment of the egg shell which separates the membrane from the shell, in order to obtain bio-CaCO3 from a food industry residue.

Resulting from this process, this new composition is used in the formulation of wall tile biscuit raw materials, instead of other less sustainable components.

This project is elaborated in a consortium between the University of Aveiro, the Institute of Ceramic Technology in Spain, MAINCER, Euroatomizado group and AGOTZAINA S.L.

Aleluia Cerâmicas also partners this initiative by receiving this new composition for testing of industrial level production of tiles, with Bio Calcite.

Through a simple process and at a reduced cost, this project focuses on valueing the eggshell as a secondary raw material in the ceramic industry, and to develop more ecological alternatives fpr the production of ceramics.