(October 2010) An idea for most unusual natural stone products was developed by Greek scientists: produce ancient Greek figures locally and in local marble.
The novelty of the idea is threefold: first we are speaking of reproductions of antique works, and second, the material implemented is cast stone comprised of stone sawdust mixed with resin as an adhesive, and third, the pieces are mass produced by robots. (pdf)
The unusual idea was launched at the Global Stone Congress in March this year in Spain’s Alicante. What to do with the enormous amounts of waste from quarries and productions sites was one the main questions facing speakers of the conference.
Scientists from Spanish Cartagena analyzed whether marble slurry could be implemented in cleaning up industrial waste sites where Ore has been mined for over 2500 years and molten to metal. The answer is yes: the stone dust from quarries and stone production sites mixed with organic substances such as liquid pig manure and sewage sludge improved the pH of the soil and reduced the elution of heavy metals. Comparable chemical processing would be much more costly according to speakers. (pdf)
Another study pursued the question how to extract heavy metals from acidic water reserves by means of marble slurry. (pdf)
Yet another Spanish project sought and found the most appropriate plants for renaturation quarries and industrial grounds. The title of the talk was „The Showroom of Change“ than pointed out the meaning of renaturation for the image of the branch. (pdf)
Recycling granite offal was another topic. A suggestion was to mix it in with ceramic glaze. (pdf)
Similar efforts from Italy among others was reported in our May issue.
The environmental interests in conjunction with stone production were a main topic of the congress. In Greece scientist discovered that up to 35% of the power produced by generators is not used in some quarries. In view of high costs and evermore stringent regulations, the authors urge implementation of energy management. (pdf)
A contribution from Brazil looked into the sustainability. This includes social sustainability, e.g. addressing the issue of child labour. (pdf)
Marketing was another issue. Spain launched a system for analysis of granite tile colours to increase efficiency in putting together lots. (pdf)
