Selfrag

Selfrag AG, a Swiss company founded in 2007, operates at the intersection of cleantech and heavy industry, specializing in waste-to-value solutions for incinerator bottom ash (IBA). The firm has commercialized a patented high-voltage pulse power technology that selectively fragments materials. This technology has roots in research conducted by the German Karlsruhe Research Center in the 1990s, which explored industrial applications for selective fragmentation. With total funding of over $36 million from investors including Credit Suisse, UBS, and the Ammann Group, Selfrag has advanced to a Series C stage, enabling significant projects like the development of its "Centro Due" facility in Kerzers.

The company’s business model is centered on developing, financing, constructing, and operating its own waste-to-value plants. Selfrag establishes long-term contracts with waste-to-energy incinerators to process their IBA. Revenue is generated through the recovery and sale of valuable materials. The processed slag yields high-quality metals, which are sold to a network of traders and smelters, and mineral fractions that can be repurposed as additives in cement and construction. Additionally, the company partners with firms like South Pole to certify and trade CO2 credits generated by its efficient processes.

Selfrag's core offering is a process that applies powerful, lightning-like electrical discharges (up to 200,000 volts) to IBA submerged in water. These high-voltage pulses create shockwaves that break the material apart along its natural grain boundaries, effectively separating the composite materials. This method is more selective than conventional crushing, which often destroys valuable components. For its clients, primarily waste incinerator operators, this translates to a significant increase in the recovery of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals and a reduction of up to 50% in the volume of waste destined for landfills. The company offers both large-scale industrial systems for continuous processing and smaller, 'off-the-shelf' lab units for research, which are used by over 45 universities globally for applications from geosciences to e-waste recycling.

Keywords: incinerator bottom ash, high voltage pulse power, selective fragmentation, waste-to-value, circular economy, cleantech, slag recycling, metal recovery, mineral recovery, CO2 reduction, landfill reduction, sustainable waste management, e-waste recycling, geochronology, material processing, electrodynamic fragmentation, Swiss technology, industrial recycling solutions, resource recovery, environmental technology