The structure of developed economies has changed radically in recent decades. As late as the 1960s, it was reasonable to describe the economy in terms of three stages of production: primary production—of agricultural and mineral raw materials; secondary production—a manufacturing industry that transformed raw materials into items of final consumption; tertiary production—a sector that provided ...

The majority of contemporary insulation materials commonly used in the building industry is made from non-renewable raw materials; furthermore, their production often brings high energy costs. A long-term trend as far as sustainable development is concerned has been the reduction of energy and material demands of building material production. One of the solutions is the possibility of using eas...

Mineral hydrocarbons consist of two fractions, mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). MOAH is a potential public health hazard because it may include carcinogenic polycyclic compounds. In the present study, 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was introduced, in the context of official controls, to measure MOSH and MOAH in raw ma...

Mineral hydrocarbons consist of two fractions, mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH). MOAH is a potential public health hazard because it may include carcinogenic polycyclic compounds. In the present study, 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was introduced, in the context of official controls, to measure MOSH and MOAH in raw ma...

The production process for rock mineral wool insulation products generates a number of residue streams with different physical characteristics. Together these add up to a significant proportion of the raw materials input to the process. Previously, recycling of the residue had not been viable because of the abrasive nature of the different materials streams and specific processing constraints a...