CSIR Natural Resources And The Environment

Beneficiation of fly ash from pulp and paper mills: Valorisation into heat-resistant geo-polymers

CSIR researchers are converting fly ash, a by-product of the South African pulp and paper industry, into heat-resistant geo-polymers that can be used in the protection of metal surfaces against high temperatures in furnaces or kilns. Fly ash disposal presents major environmental and financial pro...

Continuous assessment of rock mass response by microseismic monitoring

The mining industry is one of the main drivers of the South African economy. Traditional drill-and-blast mining, practiced particularly in the South African platinum and gold mines, is both expensive and fairly dangerous in terms of the limited understanding of the rock mass response to deformati...

Collaborative research to aid decision-making on the use and protection of sandy rivers

Researchers in South Africa and their counterparts in Argentina are studying the links between human-induced pollution, the interaction of river streams and landscapes, and specific groups of organisms in sandy rivers. The research will fill the gap of knowledge pertaining to sandy bedforms like ...

CSIR develops practical approaches to reducing fire risks in the wildland-urban interface

The CSIR has developed a 10-step process to assess and reduce the risks of wildland fires and map the likelihood of fire. The 10 steps entail the delineation of the wildlife-urban interface, where a 100 m buffer is created on either side to allow for the characterisation of assets and fuel types....

Marine disposal of wastewater: Environmental Surveys in the Durban outfalls region

CSIR researchers have been continuously monitoring and studying the effect of wastewater discharge on the marine environment in Durban. The monitoring programme has generated a wealth of information that has contributed to the understanding of how wastewater discharge affects the sea environment ...

Characterisation of pulp and paper mill sludge to establish the feasibility for beneficiation

Mill sludge, a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, is traditionally landfilled, incinerated or land spread. However, these options are associated with many environmental and economic impacts that include: emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the leaching of toxic substances...

Ultrasonic activation of dissolving wood pulp as a pre-treatment to alkali dissolution

A ground-breaking study by the CSIR and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will see the irradiation pre-treatment of dissolving wood pulp reduce the amount of chemical reagents used in the viscose production process, saving the textile and fibre industries time and money. Dissolving wood pulp...

Development of methodologies for the measurement of diesel exhaust emissions and diesel particulate matter

The project seeks to find a suitable technique, or a combination of techniques, to measure the different compounds found in diesel engine emissions. These techniques will be tested for feasibility, accuracy and robustness under controlled conditions and under real-mining conditions. Ultimately, r...