Marble sludge recycling by using geopolymerization technology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the recycling potential of marble sludge, which is generated from the cutting and grinding of marble. Geopolymerization technology was applied to this aim. Waste marble sludge was combined with cement, fly ash, clay, gypsum, and blast furnace slag in different combinations to prepare paste samples without aggregate. NaSilNaOH and 8M NaOH solutions were used as alkaline activators for geopolymerization. Samples were analyzed for unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and the formulations yielding the highest UCS results were determined. The sample prepared using the NaSilNaOH solution and containing 25% fly ash, 25% cement, 25% blast furnace slag, and 25% marble sludge yielded the highest UCS level among the samples, 52MPa. The results of the study showed that marble sludge is a suitable material for geopolymerization purposes and yields high compressive strength compared to standard cement paste.