Utilization of Granite Powder Waste in Ceramic Bodies for Civil Construction

Abstract

The industry of ornamental stones processing from Espírito Santo State produces high amounts of powder waste from sawing and polishing of granite. This waste is a non-biodegradable material that when disposed generates pollution and environmental damage. Clay/waste mixtures were prepared with a kaolinitic clay and waste additions up to 10 wt.%. Various bodies were prepared by uniaxial pressing and sintered in air between 850°C and 1150°C. Emphasis is given on the drying and firing properties. The results revealed that the ceramic bodies containing granite powder waste are adequate for manufacture of structural ceramic. In addition, the employed methodology is environmentally correct and can contribute to the sustainable development.

Utilization of Granite Powder Waste in Concrete Production

“…After being air dried, the waste becomes a dry mud consisting of very fine powder that can be easily inhaled by human being and animals [2]. It is a non-biodegradable waste that causes pollution and environmental damage when it's disposed [3]. The data available from the literature, the formation of waste due to the industrial processing, can reach up to 40% of the total extracted volume [2] and the disposal of those fine wastes is one of the environmental problems worldwide today.…”

“…One of the known studies on this topic involved that, utilization of granite dust for making aerated concrete and ceramic production conducted by Beretka et al [4]. Test results of Moreira et al [3] illustrated that the ceramic bodies containing granite powder waste are adequate for manufacture of structural ceramic and the employed methodology is environmentally correct. Saboya et al [2] investigate the utilization of powder marble waste to enhance the brick ceramic properties.…”