Conversion of Waste Marble Powder into a Binding Material

In the marble industry, a lot of marble is wasted in the form of odd blocks of various sizes and slurry consisting of water and micro-fine particles. The slurry on drying converts into powder. Both slurry and powder have adverse effects on the environment. This research is focused on the gainful utilization of waste marble powder (WMP) by converting it into a valuable binding material. For this purpose, WMP and clay were collected, and their physical and chemical properties were determined. A mix of WMP and clay was prepared and burnt at a temperature around 1300 oC. The burnt mix was ground to powder form to get marble cement (MC). The MC was then used in mortar. The compressive and flexural strengths of mortar cubes and prisms were determined. Apart from this, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis were also carried out. The chemical composition showed that the MC has 52.5% di-calcium silicate (C2S) and 3.5% tri-calcium silicate (C3S).The  compressive strength of MC mortar after 28 days curing is 6.03 MPa, which is higher than M1 mortar of building code of Pakistan (5 MPa). The compressive strength of MC mortar after one year is 20.67 MPa, which is only 17% less than OPC mortar

Investigating the feasibility of producing sustainable and compatible binder using marble waste, fly ash, and rice husk ash: A comprehensive research for material characteristics and production

This research aims to develop a new marble-based binding material for evaluating its strength blended with rise husk ash and fly ash. Newly developed marble-based cement was prepared by burning waste marble powder and clay. The marble cement was then blended separately with varying amounts of fly ash (20, 30, and 40% by mass of marble cement) and rice husk ash (20, 30, and 40% by mass of marble cement) to find the most suitable combination for mortar in terms of strength gain. The mortar specimens were subjected to various load tests, including compressive and flexural strength, and also to various morphology and microstructural tests including X-Ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric, and scanning electron microscopy analyses. According to the results, the compressive strength of the marble cement mortar was less than ordinary Portland cement mortar but greater than the M1 mortar (5 MPa, minimum compressive strength of mortar for brick masonry) as per the Building Code of Pakistan 2007 (BCP:2007) and Indian Standards (IS:1905). Blended marble cement mortars displayed improved strengths, yet the early strength of blended mortars was lower than Portland cement mortar due to higher di-calcium silicate content and slow pozzolanic activity, but the later-age strength of mortar prepared with the marble cement blended with 30% rice husk ash was found marginally higher than the ordinary Portland cement mortar. Moreover, incorporating marble waste, rice husk ash, and fly ash as binding materials to manufacture building materials will encourage sustainable growth by reducing environmental issues associated with their disposal