Thesis and final projects

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We supervise and conduct theoretical and experimental project, bachelor and master theses. The topics range from the application of systems analysis techniques to analyze and evaluate system performance to experimental studies on a technical scale or laboratory scale. The latter work can be carried out at our technical center on the site of waste incineration plant in Kassel and in our laboratory in the building Mönchebergstraße 7.

Prerequisite for the completion of a thesis in the context of environmental engineering at the Research Center for Resource Management and Solid Waste Engineering.

Please note
Guidelines for thesis and project reports: Leitfaden (in german)

 

A selection of topics can be found on this page. For further tasks or if you are already interested in a specific topic, please contact the staff at the department. Our team

Selection of topics for master, bachelor or project theses

Master's thesis - proposed topic


Problem and objective:
According to official statistics, 6,154 kt of plastic waste was generated in Germany in 2017, of which 1224 kt was disposed of as residual and bulky waste (conversio, 2018). Determining the quantities of plastic waste disposed of in residual and bulky waste is highly uncertain, as the use of plastics in various products and composites and the heterogeneous composition of these waste fractions make representative sampling difficult. The plastic waste collected in residual and bulky waste includes, for example, pure plastic products such as plastic packaging or waste collection bags, but also various composite products (e.g. composite packaging, hygiene products, textiles, waste electrical and electronic equipment, furniture, etc.) with varying plastic contents.

As part of the advertised master's thesis, the plastic waste quantities in residual and bulky waste stated in official statistics are to be checked for plausibility using two different estimation methods. The approaches to be used are a waste-side estimation of the proportion of plastics in waste and a product-side estimation of the plastics consumed and generated as waste from various applications. As part of the waste-side estimate, the plastic content in residual and bulky waste is to be extrapolated using sorting analysis results and a determination of the plastic content in various sorting fractions. In the production-related estimation, plastic quantities are to be estimated using production and consumption statistics in combination with
lifetimes for each product group.

The expected result of the master's thesis is reliable statements on plausible value ranges for plastic waste quantities and compositions. This data should serve as a basis for discussing existing recycling potentials and fossil carbon content in the inputs of thermal recycling plants.

Methods:
As part of the Master's thesis, comprehensive literature research is to be carried out and statistics on waste quantities and compositions are to be evaluated. The results are to be summarized and discussed in a material flow analysis. A small amount of experimental work is also planned in order to determine the proportion of plastics in various sorting fractions using waste fractions containing plastics from sorting analyses.

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Contact:
Dr. Sarah Schmidt
Mail: sarah.schmidt[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Phone: +49 561 804-3954

Master thesis - Proposed topic

Problem and objective:
Grate ash from municipal solid waste incineration (HMVA) represents the largest solid residue from waste incineration in terms of volume. After appropriate processing, the mineral fraction of HMV ash can be used as a building material. As part of the HMV eco-concrete research project(https://www.dbu.de/projekt_36064/01_db_2848.html), processed HMVA is used to partially replace aggregates and binders in concrete. This conserves natural raw materials and reduces CO2 emissions associated with concrete production. However, HMV ash contains salts and heavy metals that, although largely immobilized in concrete during use, could be released after the end of use as part of a potential second life cycle as a replacement building material. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the release of pollutants from HMV ash concrete quarry in order to evaluate possible longer-term environmental hazards and to exclude them by appropriate measures.
The objective of this Master's thesis is to investigate the elution behavior of selected salts and heavy metals by means of column experiments and to draw conclusions on the longer-term pollutant release potential.

Approach and Methods:
The experimental work will be carried out in the pilot plant and laboratory of the Department of Resource Management and Waste Engineering and will also be supervised by the Department of Hydrogeology (Prof. Mellage). The HMVA concrete specimens as well as conventional concrete specimens (as a reference) are provided and are to be crushed to suitable grain sizes in the first step using a jaw crusher. The materials produced are characterized with regard to particle size distribution, selected element contents in the solids and porosity. Subsequently, column tests (at least 2 tests per concrete sample) are to be carried out with the produced materials under water-saturated conditions according to DIN 19528. During the tests, relevant percolate parameters (based on the limit values of the Substitute Building Materials Ordinance) are determined at regular intervals (continuously: pH, electrical conductivity and by external analyses for specific water-solid ratios: Cl, SO4, As, Cu, Cd, etc.). The tests shall be run at least up to a water-solid ratio of 10 L/kg to allow comparison with eluate concentrations (carried out as part of the HMV-Öko-Beton research project) from shaking tests at W/F = 2 L/kg and W/F = 10 L/kg. The experiments are to be evaluated with regard to pollutant release dynamics and discussed against the background of provided data from the HMV-Öko-Beton project as well as relevant literature.

The master thesis is jointly supervised at the Department of Resource Management and Waste Engineering and the Department of Hydrogeology.

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If you are interested, please contact:  Prof. Dr. David Laner