Natural Stone Industry Research Articles

Recycling of stone slurry in industrial activities: Application to concrete mixtures

To solve the problem of the waste generated by the natural stone industry, several technical solutions consider the incorporation of this type of waste in other industrial activities as a by-product. This paper presents an overview of current solutions and the results of a research project where natural stone slurry is used to replace fine aggregates in concrete mixtures. The concrete mechanical properties are presented and the technical viability of this new construction material is illustrated.

Development of a New Procedure for the Application of Microwave Energy During Marble Slab Production

In this work a new microwave-heating procedure is presented as a viable alternative for both the conventional and ultraviolet (UV) curing systems used in the natural stone industry. Both thermal simulations and experimental tests demonstrate that microwave energy highly reduces curing and storing times while maintaining the product’s final quality. Several polymer mixtures have been obtained from commercial products and fillers for maximum microwave absorption and their complex permittivity has been properly measured. A continuous industrial microwave oven has been built specifically for this purpose and tested on Crema-Sierra Puerta marble samples and commercial epoxy and polyester resins.