Since 1997, Regain has worked closely with primary aluminium plants in Victoria and New South Wales to re-process minerals from waste products into valuable products for the cement industry.

More than 30,000 tonnes of aluminium smelter by-products have been re-processed into cement kiln fuels in Victoria and South Australia.

In order to manufacture cement and bricks, raw materials must be fired in a kiln to be combined into stable and valuable new products. To fire these materials, energy is required.

Minerals recovered from the aluminium smelting process are well known for their value as a flux. A flux is a material which lowers the temperature required to combine the raw materials.

By using these flux materials in kilns, cement and brick manufacturers are able to reduce energy consumption, which means greatly reduced operating costs and benefits to the environment through reduction in greenhouse emissions.

Regain has developed two commercial products for use in the cement industry. They are known as HiCal brand fuel and ReAl brand mineral additive. These products are the result of extensive research and testing, and show how mineral by-products can be re-processed and marketed for use in downstream industries, to deliver real benefits in operating costs and environmental sustainability.