Utilisation of waste marble powder in cement industry
Presently large amounts of slurry are generated in marble cutting plants with serious consequences on the environment and humans. This paper presents test results showing the feasibility of using waste marble powder (WMP) in cement industry as a substitute limestone. Also, it describes the formulation of new lime–based (CR II) cementitious materials derived from these industrial wastes. The characterisation included chemical composition, determined by X–ray fluorescence (XRF), thermal behaviour and particle size distribution. Also, physical parameters of milled powders such as the specific surface area and the percent of weight retained in a fixed sieve (75 µm) were introduced. Test results show that this WMP–based cement is capable of improving hardened concrete performance up to 16%, enhancing fresh concrete behaviour and can be used in architectural concrete mixtures containing white cement. CR II is an environment friendly product, cheaper and it involves small equipments with no convoluted technologies.
Keywords: waste marble powder, WMP, cement industry, concrete, limestone substitute, slurry, marble cutting, environmental pollution, industrial waste, chemical composition, thermal behaviour, particle size distribution