The material based on granite screenings, technology of its application in production

The developed material and technology Institute BelNIIS, RUE has conducted research aimed at ensuring the commercial use of granite screenings. The research resulted in the development of a new material based on granite screenings, and production technology of building products made of the new material. The solution for granite screenings application implies the use of screenings, that make from 25 to 40% of the weight of the quarried material in the process of crushed granite production, as a raw material for building products.

Application and properties of the new material The developed material can be applied for production of the following articles: - wall or finishing products (masonry blocks); - paving slabs (tiles for paving); - plates for coatings resistant to acids and alkalis etc. The performance properties of the resulting products that are molded under high pressure and then fired at temperatures above 1,100 °C, are higher than the properties of traditional products. The minor adjustment of the production technology permits variation of properties. Applying the material based on granite screenings it is possible to obtain both decorative elements with minimal performance properties as well as special elements with high resistance to aggressive ambient.

The technological process and manufacture The developed technology simplifies the technological process in comparison to traditional production technology of ceramic articles. It lacks a number of expensive and power consuming processes, for example: - quarrying of specific clay material, its crushing, grinding, screening and aging; - preparation of additives, their sifting, grinding, drying and dosing; - long firing time. The firing time is 1-5 hours instead of 12-40 hours with the traditional technology. To organize the production of building products from material based on granite crushed stone are required: - granite screenings (quarry dust) themselves; - a kiln and gas to run it; - common factory transport support; - a number of elements of the production line (a batcher of raw materials, a twin-shaft mixer, a molding machine with a pressing force of at least 80 MPa, a kiln with a firing temperature of at least 1 100 °C).

Expediency of implementing the technology When applying the developed technology granite screenings become the source of income. The simplified technological process and low cost of raw materials give a product with high performance properties and low prime cost. To compare: - 1 ton of clay material - is about 7,02 $ - 1 ton of material based on granite screenings - is about 0,15 $ 1 ton of granite screenings gives 200 bricks or 340 paving slabs of the "brick" type.

Cooperation Institute BelNIIS, RUE is an owner of the Eurasian patent № 041527 “The method of manufacturing a building product, the building product and the raw mixture for it”. The patent covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. So Institute BelNIIS, RUE offers the implementation of the performed technology and material at factories in the Republic of Belarus as well as abroad. In order to discuss the conditions of cooperation and/or get more information, please, contact us via e-mail: info@belniis.by