Adrian Chajec, Dr. Lukasz Sadowski and Team
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
Granite is one of the main natural resources found in Poland. During its processing, it arises waste called granite powder. Poland is the world’s second-largest producer of granite blocks (right after Italy). There are huge deposits of this material in Poland (especially in Lower Silesia), but the rock processing industry is so developed that Poland is also at the forefront of importing granite blocks for further processing (mainly from South Africa and South America). About 80,000 tons of granite powder waste, resulting from the processing of granite rocks, are produced annually in the region of Lower Silesia alone. Since granite powder waste has not been used for industrial purposes for at least 30 years, it is estimated that the current deposits amount to 20 million tons. The storage of this material in heaps causes soil contamination (pH change), plant pollination, silicosis, and even lung cancer in humans.
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The deposition of this waste is currently a significant environmental problem. In literature, there are attempts to use granite powder for the production of selected construction products. Out of these attempts products in the form of cement composites and epoxy floors have enormous potential. However, there are no comprehensive solutions in this direction.
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With this in mind, the research team of Professor Lukasz Sadowski from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology is conducting a project aimed at examining the possibility of using waste granite powder for the production of selected construction products: cement composites and epoxy floors. The application goal is to develop the composition of cement composites containing the addition of waste granite powder, optimization of the proportion of mass addition of waste powder granite in epoxy floors, and the implementation of the use of granite powder as a production additive cement composites and epoxy floors.
These goals will be achieved through the implementation of comprehensive program tests from determining the properties of fresh mixes to the properties of the target products. We performed preliminary tests, the aim of which was to check the possibility of replacing cement with the additive of granite powder waste (consistency, density, setting time, compressive strength and bending tensile strength, the effect of curing conditions). We also performed tests characterizing the waste (chemical composition, density, graining, and grains morphology). We are currently at the stage of optimizing the properties of composites modified with granite powder waste through the filler and packing density technology.
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The team has already achieved its first successes, which allow us to look positively into the future, hoping that the goal will be achieved. So far, preliminary studies have been performed, the results of which have been published in several major journals:
- Chajec, A. Granite Powder vs. Fly Ash for the Sustainable Production of Air-Cured Cementitious Mortars. Materials 2021, 14, 1208. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051208
- Chajec A., Sadowski Ł. (2021) Bleeding of Cement Pastes Modified with the Addition of Granite Powder. In: Kanavaris F., Benboudjema F., Azenha M. (eds) International RILEM Conference on Early-Age and Long-Term Cracking in RC Structures. CRC 2021. RILEM Bookseries, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72921-9_25
In addition, the team is the authors of several patent applications related to the developed technology for the production of more eco-building materials. The project is supported by the National Centre for Research and Development (Poland) under the program LIDER XI [grant no. LIDER/35/0130/L-11/19/NCBR/2020 ‘‘The use of granite powder waste for the production of selected construction products’’].
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