WINDSIFTER ZZS - WE GET THE FUTURE OUT OF THE WASTE

Eggs are a popular food in Germany. We Germans consume around 236 eggs per capita per year (source: Statista). And that doesn't include the eggs that food manufacturers use for us. Around 15 billion eggs were produced in Germany in 2019 (source: Statista). But even that doesn't even cover our total demand; imports from the Netherlands, for example, are necessary. And what is the supposed waste from an egg? The eggshell. Popular with (hobby) gardeners as a fertiliser, 15 billion eggshells are a bit much. So what do you do with the rest?

Not only housewives and cooks know that an eggshell consists roughly of two components: the hard shell and a soft, inner membrane. This is exactly what makes it so interesting - for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and for machines from TRENNSO-TECHNIK^®. This is where our expertise in separating and sorting this composite material comes into play. The shell must be separated from the membrane for further use.

It is thin, inconspicuous, white and sometimes sticks to your finger at breakfast. But does the eggshell membrane also have a use? Analyses show that this protein-rich membrane contains high-quality ingredients for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. It is therefore a sought-after source of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin and collagen. These ingredients favour collagen formation and cartilage function, thus supporting our joints and other bodily functions that are subject to constant degradation. A clean extraction of the eggshell membrane is therefore a goal.

And what will become of the eggshell? In addition to being used as fertiliser or a fun, seasonal decorative item, a promising study suggests that eggshells may soon have their day. In the search for new sources of environmentally friendly battery technology, the Helmholtz Institute in Ulm has used eggshells as electrodes for energy storage for the first time. Whole, ground eggshells yielded a conductive material that gives hope for a low-cost lithium-ion capacitor. Of course, further research is still needed, but a foundation stone has been laid. Source: see end of text

The ZZS air separator from TRENNSO-TECHNIK^® is ideal for recovering recyclable raw material in the form of eggshell membrane and eggshell from the supposed eggshell waste. Our air separator separates the heavier shell from the lightweight membrane using the dry separation process. This means that both components of the natural composite material eggshell can be used for further applications. Whether as an additive in cosmetics or as a food supplement, as a fertiliser, in bioceramics or in the dye industry.

The ZZS air separator is recommended for the separation of eggshell membranes because pure air is used as the separation medium. The eggshells enter the zigzag separator via a rotary valve. There, the air from the blower flows through the shells and the zigzag arrangement of the separator walls causes separation. Heavy shell pieces fall downwards, light membranes are discharged with the air via a cyclone. The separated light and heavy fractions of the eggshells are clearly visible in the video.

Windsifter technology from TRENNSO-TECHNIK^® is part of our technology portfolio for separating and sorting recycling material, food and bulk materials. In addition to the air separator ZZS, there is also the alternative for coarser bulk materials, the air separator QSS. Our team of experienced engineers and technicians knows which system configuration represents the optimum, customised solution. For specific questions about individual products, we also have the option of carrying out trials in our fully equipped technical centre in Weissenhorn. From used tyres to artificial turf to eggshells - systems from TRENNSO-TECHNIK^® separate what no longer belongs together.

Source: Bio-waste chicken eggshells to store energy. Minakshi, M.; Visbal, H.; Mitchell, D. R. G.; Fichtner, M.
2018. Dalton transactions, 2018 (47), 16828–16834