The company Bublon GmbH is an independent subsidiary of Binder+Co AG situated in Gleisdorf. It is active in the field of plant construction, specialized in the mechanical as well as in the thermal processing of volcanic sands. The expanded products are used in i.a. construction materials, polymer compounds, paints and fire protection products. The electrically indirectly heated thermal radiation expansion furnace of the Bublon-technique is used for continuous production of high quality mineral products from raw materials with a grain size > 100 µm. Currently, the so-called Bublite-technique is developed for processing raw materials with a grain size <100 µm. With the help of a prototype systematic studies are carried out and the furnace developed to market maturity. The parallel operation of both facilities will ensure the feasibility to process volcanic sands with a grain size <1 mm for the primary industry in the future. Both concepts are used with the aim of a controlled expansion of perlites to obtain specific product properties such as bulk density, grain size and spherical shape of particles with a closed cell structure. Furthermore, the production sites are characterized by an operation without fossil fuels which is a main difference compared to conventional production sites. The aim of this master thesis is the assessment of the potentials concerning the electrically indirectly heated thermal radiation shafts of Bublon GmbH for thermal treatment of alternative raw materials. Prior to the practical trials, a literature research was conducted to identify alternative raw materials to be beneficiated via calcination. Aluminium hydroxide, kaolin, gypsum and dolomite were selected for the practical tests to produce either specific products or to evaluate the basic suitability of the furnace for the respective calcination process. The results of the practical trials with the alternative raw materials show some advantages of the Bublon-/Bublite furnaces. On the one hand, the possibility to process very fine particles and to obtain exact product properties by adjusting parameters like the temperature was considered positive. On the other hand, a lower specific energy consumption compared to conventional processes could not be confirmed.