Granite Residues Research Articles

Characterization of waste from the ornamental stone processing for incarnation in clay ceramics

Recently, new technologies are introduced to minimize the disorderly disposal of waste, not only from the processing of ornamental stones (OS), but also from other industrial sectors. A technological alternative to reduce the environmental impact and recycle waste is its incarnation into clayey ceramic products. This solution can improve the properties of the final product. Some studies using granite residues, from sawing blocks, showed great potential for their use in red ceramics, due to their characteristics such as a high content of alkaline oxides, fine granulometry, and low cost. The goal of this work is to characterize the residues from the processing of OS, with the aim to incarnate into clayey ceramics. The characterization will contribute to the knowledge of the residue (mud) and, through this fact, will favor the study of a possible solution to the problem of disposal of mud generated in the sawing of rocks, besides contributing to the practice of sustainable development, and the consequent use of waste discarded as unusable.

Mechanical, Morphological, Thermal and the Attenuation Properties of Heavy Mortars Doped with Nanoparticles for Gamma-Ray Shielding Applications.

This study aimed to develop a mortar composite with improved gamma ray shielding properties using WO3 and Bi2O3 nanoparticles, as well as granite residue as a partial replacement of sand. The physical properties and effects of sand substitution and nanoparticle addition on the mortar composite were analyzed. TEM analysis confirmed the size of Bi2O3 and WO3 NPs to be 40 ± 5 nm and 35 ± 2 nm, respectively. SEM images showed that increasing the percentage of granite residues and nanoparticles improved the homogeneity of the mixture and decreased the percentage of voids. TGA analysis indicated that the thermal properties of the material improved with the increase in nanoparticles, without decreasing the material weight at higher temperatures. The linear attenuation coefficients were reported and we found that the LAC value at 0.06 MeV increases by a factor of 2.47 when adding Bi2O3, while it is enhanced by a factor of 1.12 at 0.662 MeV. From the LAC data, the incorporation of Bi2O3 nanoparticles can greatly affect the LAC at low energies, and still have a small but noticeable effect at higher energies. The addition of Bi2O3 nanoparticles into the mortars led to a decrease in the half value layer, resulting in excellent shielding properties against gamma rays. The mean free path of the mortars was found to increase with increasing photon energy, but the addition of Bi2O3 led to a decrease in MFP and better attenuation, making the CGN-20 mortar the most ideal in terms of shielding ability among the prepared mortars. Our findings on the improved gamma ray shielding properties of the developed mortar composite have promising implications for radiation shielding applications and granite waste recycling.

Rare earth element geochemistry of lake sediments from the eastern Nanling Mountain area (South China) and its implication for East Asian monsoon related chemical weathering over the past ~47 000 years

Chondrite‐normalized rare earth element (REE) data of a ~47.0‐ka lake sedimentary sequence from the Dahu Swamp in the eastern Nanling Mountain area were used to determine climatic variations within the region. These sediments proved to be valuable proxies of climatic changes and their origin is discussed. The influences of grain size, organic matter absorption and Fe‐Mn oxides on REE composition were determined to not be significant. The dominant source of sediments was ascertained to be the weathered granite residues from the catchment, enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE). Intensified East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) resulted in intensive chemical weathering, leading to enhanced REE and LREE fractionations in the weathered residues; this caused the increase in REE and LREE, and decrease in heavy rare earth element (HREE) fractionation degrees in the sediment. Therefore, our results indicate that changes in LREE/HREE, (La/Yb)N, (La/Sm)N) and (Gd/Yb)N, the proxies of REE, LREE, and HREE fractionations, can serve as proxies of regional climate‐induced chemical weathering and thus serve to constrain EASM changes.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND FLEXURAL RIGIDITY OF EPOXY GRANITE COMPOSITE MATERIAL

In Egypt, large quantities of coarse granite wastes are produced annually during the quarrying operations of granite rocks. This waste represents a potentially useful source of material for a variety of applications such as a filler material in epoxy granite composite material. In this work a new eco-friendly composite material studied as a substitute for machine tools traditional materials, like cast iron, to produce better efficiency with lower cost. This study aims to investigate the mechanical properties of granite epoxy composite by using the local epoxy (kemapoxy 150) and the granite residues in the Egyptian quarries. The investigated processing variable was epoxy content, and the mechanical characterization ware carried out by compressive and flexural tests according to the ASTM standard method B. Commercially available, Aswan red granite was procured, crushed, and sieved to three size ranges from 0.150 to 8 mm, respectively. Epoxy ratios of 80:20, 85:15 have been used with granite aggregate size mix with small, medium, and coarse size proportions of 50:25:25 respectively for preparing the specimens with granite granular size range (0.150-8) mm. The results show that Epoxy granite composite with granite to epoxy ratio of 80:20% wt. induced the highest compressive strength (72.15 MPa) while the composite with the ratio of 85:15% wt. induced the highest flexural strength (20.1 MPa). Epoxy granite composite show superior results with respect to cement concrete, polyester concrete, and natural granite.

Microstructural Characterization of Clay-Based Ceramics with the Addition of Granite Residues

Million tons of ornamental stones residues are produced every year. Most of this residue is disposed without any kind of processing or treatment. Moreover, disposal occurs without a prospective of reuse or recycling. The incorporation into ceramics is a possible alternative for part of this residue. Clay-based ceramics have high capacity of incorporation of industrial residues. This work aimed to conduct a microstructural characterization of clay-based ceramics with incorporation of granite residues in the composition of the ceramic matrix. Specimens were produced with the addition of 0, 10, 20 and 30 wt. % of granite residues. The specimens were prepared by uniaxial pressing and sintered at temperatures of 1050 and 1200°C. For the microstructural analysis were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results indicated that the incorporated ceramics sintered at 1200oC presented higher densification and lower porosity as compared with those sintered at 1050oC.

Effect of Granite Residue Incorporation on the Behavior of Mortars.

Civil construction is one of the most resource-consuming sectors in the world. For this reason, the last years have witnessed the study of reusing industrial residues in building materials. The ornamental stone processing industry has a considerable environmental liability related to residue generation during the cutting stages of granite blocks. The objective of this work is to analyze the viability of incorporating granite residues, up to 100%, to substitute sand in coating mortars for building construction. Mortars without residue, as control, and incorporated with 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of granite residue were subjected to consistency tests, incorporated air and water retention together with the rheological characterization using the squeeze-flow and the dropping-ball methods. The results show that mortars with 40% granite residues presented greater plastic deformation, helping their applicability by also presenting improved technological properties in the fresh state.

Residue Characterization from Polishing Granite Submitted to the Hydrocycloning Process

The waste generated in granite processing has caused great social and environmental concern due to the release of its solid effluents into landfills and other places. The recycling and reuse of waste from different industrial processes as new raw materials has been the object of various researches. The use of hydrocyclone in the treatment of residues can represent a very efficient tool for separation and purification of the granite residue. This work aims to characterize and analyse the technological properties of the granite sawdust residues submitted to the hydrocyclone process in comparison with the same residue without going through the hydrocyclone process. The results indicate that the material resulting from this process presented different characteristics from the material without the process, mainly in terms of granulometric distribution and technological properties.

Relevance of Ornamental Stone Residues in the Manufacture of Concrete Blocks for Structural Masonry

The civil construction industry in Brazil is an ever growing sector with relevant participation in the country’s economy. On the other hand, this sector, technically, is among those that generate the largest amount of undesirable rejects, waste and residues. Some of these residues are highly detrimental to the environment not only because of landscape degradation but also the possibility of pollution to rivers and lakes as well as ground waters. A typical example is that of the ornamental stone industry, which generates granite and marble residues from the several processing stages. Therefore the aim of the present work is to investigate the effect of direct addition of this kind of residues in concrete blocks for different applications in housing masonry. It was found that blocks added with 20 wt% of residue possess relatively higher compression strength in association with convenient water absorption below those presented by residue-free traditional blocks.

Sustainability perspective of marble and granite residues as concrete fillers

Huge amounts of mud and other residues are yearly being produced by various countries as a waste product by the marble and granite (MGR) industry, causing serious threats to the environment, polluting soil and water, and when dry, turning into a fine dust that is harmful to the population. At this moment, most of the MGR waste is landfilled and alternative solutions are being explored in many countries with the aim to turn MGR waste into a sustainable material. In this article, the applicability of MGR as a sustainable alternative for cement replacement is investigated, specifically for such residues created in Brazil. Compressive strength, elastic modulus and water absorption tests are conducted to examine the mechanical performance of concrete containing MGR. Chemical analysis and particle size distribution showed that MGR is a non-reactive material and may act as a filler. A numerical analysis has been performed with the objective to calculate the contact area between the expanding outer shell of the hydrating cement particles and the surface of the MGR fillers. The analysis showed a strong correlation with the contact area and also confirmed that MGR can be used as a sustainable replacement for cement.

The Use of Granite and Kaolin Residues as Raw Materials to Obtain Ceramic Tile

Recycling of residues from different industrial process as new raw materials has been studied by several institutions to be applied in the production of ceramic bricks, roof tile. The aim of this work is to study the potentiality of the residues from granite and kaolin industries as raw materials to obtain ceramic tile. The raw materials were fired at temperatures of 1100oC, 1120oC and 1150oC. After fired the specimens were submitted to a physical and mechanical tests, such as, linear shrinkage, mechanical resistance, water absorption and apparent density. The results show that the residues can be used in the composition of the paste to produce ceramic tiles.

Composition of trioctahedral micas in the Karlovy Vary pluton, Czech Republic and a comparison with those in the Coruubian batholith, SW England

AbstractTrioctahedral micas in the Karlovy Vary pluton range in composition from Fe-biotites in the granites of the Older Intrusive Complex (OIC) through siderophyllite and lithian siderophyllite to zinnwaldite in the granites of the Younger Intrusive Complex (YIC). Li + AlVI + Si would appear to substitute for Fe2+ + AlIV in biotite with a formula similar to that given in Henderson et al. (1989), but Li + Si appears to substitute for Fe2+ + AlIV in the Li-micas. In mica vs. host rock plots, Rb and F show positive linear covariation except for the Li-mica granites, but femic constituents and tFeO/(tFeO + MgO) have separate trends for OIC and YIC granites and micas. Further differences between OIC and YIC granite micas are seen in their Ti and Mg contents and in plots like V vs. SiO2, AlIVvs. Fe/(Fe+Mg) and Li vs. total iron as Fe2+ and in the results of discriminant analysis. These reveal a geochemical hiatus between OIC and YIC granite micas that coincides with a major temporal hiatus.Biotite compositions in the YIC granites are similar to those in the granites of the Cornubian batholith and reveal a similar magmatic evolution and genesis in which later biotites evolve to lithian siderophyllites with some enrichment in trace alkalis and F. It is suggested that the biotite granites in the YIC were derived from the products of partial fusion of the OIC granites. A less well-marked geochemical hiatus exists between YIC biotites and zinnwaldites. In some plots (e.g. Si vs. Li, Li vs. tFe) apparent continuity between biotite and the Li-micas suggests continuous evolution, but in others (e.g. Rb vs. TiO2, Rb(biotite) vs. Rb(rock)), Li-mica data points stand apart from the biotites suggesting, like the whole rock data, a separate evolution. Comparison with the more abundant data for Li-micas of the Cornubian batholith suggests derivation of the Li-mica granites by partial fusion of the OIC/YIC granite residues.

Restites, Eu anomalies and the lower continental crust

Dehydration partial melting of the lower continental crust is the main process responsible for granite genesis in the post-Archean. If this melting occurs to undifferentiated mantle-derived rocks (i.e., basaltic protoliths), it should result in a granitic upper crust having a negative Eu anomaly and a mafic restitic lower crust having a positive Eu anomaly. However, most post-Archean high-pressure granulite facies terranes are not chemically complementary to granites because they themselves have bulk granitic compositions. If one restricts the discussion to mafic granulites from terranes, it is apparent that although their bulk composition is complementary to granite, most do not have positive Eu anomalies. Granite residues may, however, be present in granulite facies terranes if the parent rock giving rise to the granite had a negative Eu anomaly and a significant melt fraction were left behind with the residue. Such restitic granulites will have either no Eu anomaly or a negative one and “normal” LILE ratios due to the dominance of the incompatible element-rich melt. Granulite xenoliths do have the requisite compositions to balance the composition of the upper crust (i.e., mafic bulk composition and positive Eu anomalies); however, these samples are generally interpreted as melts or cumulates derived from underplated basaltic magmas rather than restites. Intracrustal differentiation may therefore proceed in several steps: intrusion and fractionation of basaltic magmas in the lower crust serves to 1. (1) create mafic and ultramafic cumulates (having positive Eu anomalies), 2. (2) produce evolved magmas (having negative Eu anomalies) 3. (3) melt the preexisting (evolved) crust to produce granites and evolved restitic granulites. The magmas produced by differentiation of the basalt may remain in the lower crust where they may be subsequently melted in a later underplating event or may mix with the crustal melts and intrude the upper crust.

Acid potassium sulphate as a petrochemical test and solvent

During the last few years, while engaged on a study of the heavier mineral particles included in the sandstones and other sedimentary rocks of the North of Scotland, and later in an investigation of the heavier accessory minerals of the granites of Scotland generally, I have had frequent occasion to use acid potassium sulphate as a reagent for the purpose of clearing off the excess of iron hydrates and oxides, more particularly in the case of highly ferruginous sandstone, but also in the case of the granite residues to get rid of the iron and other oxides. Fusion with this salt of the residues obtained by the use of a high specific gravity liquid effects a degree of clearing up of the particles that cannot be attained by even the prolonged action of any acid, whether hot or cold. To be sure this salt dissolves, as do acids, some minerals whose presence it might be desirable to determine, but the minerals so dissolved differ from those dissolved by acids; so that by differential treatment of separate portions of the residual minerals—part in acid, part in this salt—a fair idea of the minerals originally present may be gained. Thus it is hopeless to look for such a mineral as apatite in a residue which has been treated for ever so short a time in even dilute acid, but even the prolonged action of the fused salt, while it cannot be said to leave the apatites unattacked, leaves at least the larger