HIVALUE is an acronym for the family of processes used in the pollutants cold removal or immobilisation that was created by Contento Trade during various research projects and used for the first time in the ECSC Hivalue project.

Essentially, the process includes:

• The counter current washing with cleaning or stabilising agents;
• Zeolitization and absorption at low temperatures;
• Heavy metals nucleation at low temperatures;
• Cleaning agents pollutants precipitation and removal;
• Silicate matrixes agglomeration and thermoforming.

These processes can be combined in the appropriate plant structures for decontamination and/or for various types of waste transformation into the products of the added value.

The Hivalue processes normally serve for obtaining the products intended for the use in construction (artificial aggregates mostly).  The ceramic construction and coating materials, hydraulic binders and small manufactured items can also be obtained.

The Hivalue processes is an interesting technological solution that allows to resolve the problem of inerting and recycling of the wastes that contain heavy metals or anionic salts traces. The process has a competitive price and do not necessary implies big initial investment.

With the presence of the organic pollutants (COD, mineral oils, PCB, dioxins, VOC, etc.) it would be necessary to integrate Hivalue technique into DIC based processes or point directly to the thermo processes range (LAW, WBRM, etc.)  

The products obtained with the Hivalue processes normally have little commercial value but are completely inert and environmentaly friendly. The products were tested for lixiviation in different European countries.

On the contrary, the products obtained from the thermo processes have high commercial value but request consistent and constant wastes supply and, compared to Hivalue processes, bigger initial investment.