Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7

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Journal of Cleaner Production

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Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for

future uses in high value-added products
Nicola Careddu*, Graziella Marras, Giampaolo Siotto
Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture Dept. (DICAAR), University of Cagliari, Via Marengo, 3, 09123 Cagliari, Italy

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The disposal of microfine marble sawdust contained in marble slurry waste, currently represents an
Received 29 July 2013 additional economic burden for dimension stones companies. This is because the sawdust is considered
Received in revised form less important in comparison with the crushed calcareous aggregate produced in stone processing
5 November 2013
plants. In addition, the sludge is mistakenly viewed as waste that has to be disposed of in landfill. State of
Accepted 22 November 2013
the art in recovery and utilisation of calcareous sawdust is mainly aimed in uses as substitute for more
Available online xxx
expensive ingredient in the building sector. Moreover limestone dust, recovered from marble sawing and
processing slurry, has not yet found real economically feasible industrial usage. Due to the high market
Keywords:
Recycling
value of micronised CaCO3, we study the use of limestone sawdust as functional filler in industrial
Limestone residue products having higher added value, such as paper, rubber, paints, pharmaceuticals. Standard re-
Sewage sludge quirements of CaCO3 for this kind of products are very tight, especially those relating to purity level,
Calcium carbonate standard requirements particle size distribution and brightness. The high Calcium limestone deposit and the factories in Orosei
Marble producing area (Sardinia, Italy) allow the production of high quality microfine dust. To evaluate
the properties of the sawdust, several analysis were carried out to compare the results with the standard
requirements of CaCO3 for paper, rubber and tyre production. The assessment concerns five different
factories and it highlights the possible usage of the sawdust produced in Orosei by carrying out simple
and inexpensive changes in both stone-working process and wastewater treatment. Finally, a com-
mentary on environmental laws pertaining to the recycle of this kind of waste is also made in this paper.
Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction The use of Calcium carbonate as a filler generally requires white

Limestone is perhaps the most important industrial rock or
mineral used by man and, it is quarried at thousands of venues
throughout the world (Evans, 1993); in general carbonate rocks are
typically available at relatively low cost (Freas et al., 2006).
Limestone contains at least 50% of the minerals: calcite and
dolomite, with predominant levels of calcite, and shows a complete
gradation, from impure to high Calcium limestone (>95% CaCO3). It
comes in a wide range of colours, grain size and bed thickness. All
these features can affect their usage.
The most commonly exploited limestone is compact and lithi-
fied, but softer porous varieties may be used for certain applications
(Evans, 1993). Other naturally occurring types of Calcium carbon-
ate, e.g. marble (used in Dimension Stone industry), tufa, vein
calcite and cay, may compete with and/or be an alternative source
of CaCO3 where limestone is absent.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ39 (0)70 675 5561; fax: þ39 (0)70 675 5523.
E-mail addresses: ncareddu@unica.it (N. Careddu), g.marras@unica.it
(G. Marras), mpfsrl@gmail.com (G. Siotto).
colouring and a high level of mineralogical purity, as well as a
control of particle size and shape, surface area, and liquid absorp-
tivity. Natural Calcium carbonate fillers are generally called ground
limestone or ground Calcium carbonate (GCC) but may also be sold
as ground chalk, ground marble, or whiting (Ciullo, 1996). The
synthetic alternatives are known as precipitated Calcium carbonate
(PCC).
The main use of limestone is in lime production, which is a
chemical obtained from the calcination of limestone or dolomite.
The primary lime products are quicklime, pebble lime, hard-burn
dolomite or, when water is added, Calcium hydroxide or slaked
lime (Freas, 1989).
High purity limestone is the most sought after because it loses
44% of its weight during calcination; any impurity is approximately
double the amount than the lime. The end uses of lime are
countless.
The steel industry mainly uses it as a flux, for water treatment
and purification (Dickson, 1998); limestone is also used for flue gas
desulphurisation (Freas, 1994; Feng et al., 2013); in a whole range of
chemical processes, such as the production of caustic soda, carbide,

0959-6526/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.062

Please cite this article in press as: Careddu, N., et al., Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for future uses in high value-
added products, Journal of Cleaner Production (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.062
2 N. Careddu et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7

bleaches and various inorganic chemicals; in environmental air Fine particle size products are used as fire extinguishing foam
pollution (Pincomb and Shapiro, 1994; Meneghetti Faé Gomes et al., fillers (Ciullo, 1996), and as dusting agents to mitigate the explosion
2013); in agriculture, to adjust the chemical balance (pH) of the soil, impact of coal dust generated during underground mining
wood pulp and paper production (Saghavaz et al., 2013) and sewage (Chatrathi and Going, 2000).
treatment (O’Driscoll, 1988).
The use of limestone as coarse aggregate is also widespread in 1.1. Limestone sawdust uses
the world although it is not used in high-wear sites because of its
inferior hardness factors (Metal Bulletin PLC, 2002). In stone-working processes (sawing, cutting, polishing) a
Calcium carbonate has become more and more popular as filler remarkable amount of microfine dust is produced; it is normally
in a field where it has to compete with ground mica, kaolin, placed in landfills.
nepheline syenite, talc and wollastonite. Approximately 20% of a marble gangsaw-block is typically
Fillers in general no longer merely substitute a more expensive reduced to microfine dust, although this percentage may vary
component: they have become functional fillers, i.e. they add depending on the stone-processing technologies.
colour, stiffness, opacity, increase electrical conductivity or resis- The 2011 world production of carbonatic dimension stones was
tance to heat (Evans, 1993) to the final product. higher than 68 Mt (Montani, 2012). Once processed, the stones
Some fillers are surface-treated with chemicals to change their have led to an annual production of more than 30 Mm3 of calcar-
properties; this applies in particular to fine carbonate fillers eous dust, resulting in a twofold problem: the cost of the landfill
(O’Driscoll, 1990). The main uses of both natural and PCC Calcium (Gazi et al., 2012) and the environmental impact emerging from the
carbonate as filler, are: paper, paint, adhesives and sealants, plas- usage of the land as a landfill (Careddu et al., 2013).
tics, rubber, polymers and pharmaceuticals. A more sustainable alternative is the re-use of the microfine
In alkaline paper making, GCC is used as a paper filler and dust as a by-product; in this way companies can cover landfill costs
coating. Both uses require a high level of brightness, high purity, with revenues generated with the sale of these goods. It should be
small particle size, and lack of abrasion (Laufmann, 1996). The noted that the market value of CaCO3 depends essentially on three
functional properties are many (Naydowski, 1999): CaCO3, is properties: purity, particle size and brightness (Prescott and Pruett,
essential in paper manufacturing for a high press performance, it 1996); currently dry GCC with 0.5 mm mean particle size has a FOB
saves ink, it enhances the quality of print. Printed products are price of about 100e112 V/t (Marras, 2011).
marketed at competitive prices. In particular the difference in Bibliography about the re-use of fine dust resulting from the
brightness of this raw materials has led to a dynamic growth in the processing of marble mainly pertains to products such as: concrete
uses of CaCO3 for paper manufacturing around the globe (Arnold, (Almeida et al., 2007; Felekoglu, 2007; Topçu et al., 2009; Marras
1997). et al., 2010b; Gencel et al., 2012; André et al., 2013), ceramic
Calcium carbonate products are the most widely used as a (Díaz and Torrecillas, 2007; Saboya et al., 2007; Montero et al.,
coating white pigment in paints because of their high brightness for 2009a,b; Marras et al., 2010a; Devant et al., 2011), other building
TiO2 extension, high purity, low abrasivity, and resistance to products (Lee et al., 2008; Galetakis et al., 2012) and acid mine
weathering (Osterhuber et al., 1996). Fine and ultra-fine grades are drainage (Barros et al., 2009).
used in a wide variety of other decorative and protective coatings; It appears that researchers have so far mainly focussed on the
ultra-fine wet-ground grades contribute to rheology and stability subject regarding the re-use of fine marble dust in low cost appli-
and provide good dry hide and gloss retention. Slurries of 75% ultra- cations and that research work on the recycle of marble dust for
fine natural Calcium carbonate are moderately priced and sold for more higher-end products such as paper, rubber, pharmaceuticals
easy use in the large-scale manufacture of water-based coatings. is still missing.
Natural stearate-treated and PCC products are used in non- This may be due to the fact that CaCO3 standards for the pro-
aqueous coatings (Ciullo, 1996). duction of more value-added materials are much tighter than those
CaCO3 is the most widely used filler in adhesives and sealants required for products used in the building sector.
(Prescott and Pruett, 1996). The coarsest grades of ground natural
products are used at high loadings in drywall joint cements and in
pre-prepared mix adhesives for heavy wall tiling. Finely ground Table 1
Stone-working processes and technologies in the five factories studied.
white grades are used as general purpose filler in most types of
adhesives, sealants, and gap fillers thanks to their good balance of Factories Processes Technologies
low binding features (as demanded by the market) and narrow 1 Sawing Diamond multi-blade gangsaw
particle size distribution (Ciullo, 1996). (gangsaw blocks)
GCC is the most commonly used filler in plastics due to its low Block cutters (irregular blocks)
Cutting Heading machines (strips)
abrasion, low oil absorption, low moisture, high brightness, and
2 Sawing Diamond multi-blade gangsaw
easy dispersion with conventional mixing equipment. Moreover, Block cutters
the use of CaCO3 in the “in situ” polymerisation technique reduces Cutting Heading machines
the strong tendency of nanoparticles to agglomerate thus providing Slab reinforcement Resin-coating installation
a more homogeneous dispersion in the polymer matrix (Borchardt, Surface treatment Belt polishing machine
3 Sawing Block cutters
2004). Nano-particles such as Calcium carbonate filled polymers Cutting Heading machines
possess significant improvements in both rigidity and toughness 4 Squaring off Stationary diamond-wire installation
(Tjong, 2006). Sawing Diamond multi-blade gangsaw
The tyre industry finds it useful to add small percentage of Slab reinforcement Resin-coating installation
Surface treatment Belt polishing machine
CaCO3 in mixes (Liang, 2004) to improve the extrusion process.
Bush hammering/brushing machine
Calcium carbonate has been used in medicine since ancient 5 Sawing Block cutters
times (Nichols, 1920) and when it meets pharmacopoeia re- Cutting Heading machines
quirements, it is mainly used as a therapeutic source in antacids Splitting machines
(Wang, 2000) and Calcium supplements (Mortensen and Charles, Surface treatment Belt polishing machine
Shot-blasting machine
1996).

Please cite this article in press as: Careddu, N., et al., Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for future uses in high value-
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 N. Careddu et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7 3

Table 2
Chemical analysis results on sawdust samples and Orosei Marble.

Analyte Unit Detection limits Analysis method Sawdust samples Orosei marble (average)

1 2 3 4 5

SiO2 % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.08 0.6 <0.01 <0.01 0.01 0.18

Al2O3 % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.08 0.28 0.04 0.07 0.07 0.01
Fe2O3 (T) % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.04 0.12 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.01
MnO % 0.001 FUS-ICP 0.005 0.009 0.007 0.005 0.004 0.003
MgO % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.46 0.52 0.47 0.45 0.43 0.40
CaO % 0.01 FUS-ICP 54.90 53.47 54.04 53.15 54.22 54.44
Na2O % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.02 0.03 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.004
K2O % 0.01 FUS-ICP <0.01 0.04 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01
TiO2 % 0.001 FUS-ICP 0.005 0.014 0.002 0.003 0.003 <0.001
P2O5 % 0.01 FUS-ICP 0.02 0.08 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03
LOI % FUS-ICP 43.82 43.86 43.94 45.13 43.90 44.78

Total % 0.01 FUS-ICP 99.46 99.02 98.56 98.9 98.72 99.86

Sc ppm 1 FUS-ICP <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Be ppm 1 FUS-ICP <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
V ppm 5 FUS-ICP <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Cr ppm 20 FUS-MS <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20
Co ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Ni ppm 20 FUS-MS <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20
Cu ppm 10 FUS-MS <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10
Zn ppm 30 FUS-MS <30 <30 <30 <30 <30 <30
Ga ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Ge ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
As ppm 5 FUS-MS <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Rb ppm 2 FUS-MS <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2
Sr ppm 2 FUS-ICP 161 177 159 164 153 170
Y ppm 2 FUS-ICP <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2
Zr ppm 4 FUS-ICP 30 11 <4 4 7 6
Nb ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Mo ppm 2 FUS-MS <2 <2 <2 <2 <2 <2
Ag ppm 0.5 FUS-MS <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5
In ppm 0.2 FUS-MS <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2
Sn ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Sb ppm 0.5 FUS-MS <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5
Cs ppm 0.5 FUS-MS <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5
Ba ppm 3 FUS-ICP 13 17 4 16 7 10
La ppm 0.1 FUS-MS 1.2 1 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.6
Ce ppm 0.1 FUS-MS 1.9 1.5 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.8
Pr ppm 0.05 FUS-MS 0.18 0.18 <0.05 <0.05 0.06 0.14
Nd ppm 0.1 FUS-MS 0.6 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3
Sm ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Eu ppm 0.05 FUS-MS <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05
Gd ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Tb ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Dy ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Ho ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Er ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Tm ppm 0.05 FUS-MS <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05
Yb ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Lu ppm 0.04 FUS-MS <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04
Hf ppm 0.2 FUS-MS <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2
Ta ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
W ppm 1 FUS-MS <1 <1 <1 <1 <1 <1
Tl ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Pb ppm 5 FUS-MS <5 <5 <5 <5 <5 <5
Bi ppm 0.4 FUS-MS <0.4 <0.4 <0.4 <0.4 <0.4 <0.4
Th ppm 0.1 FUS-MS <0.1 0.3 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
U ppm 0.1 FUS-MS 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.3 <0.1 0.2

The aim of this study is to prove that the features of microfine
calcareous dust can meet the requirements of the industrial top-of-
the-range products; moreover, the natural features of the limestone
deposit as well as the technology adopted in stone-working have a
major impact on the final features of the refined dust obtained.
2. Experimental
Investigations were carried out in the Orosei Marble producing
area where fifteen quarries and fifteen stone processing plants
currently operate (Siotto et al., 2008); local factories produce
approximately 60,000 m3/year of carbonate micro-fine particles,
which are currently disposed of at the local council waste site for
inert materials (Careddu et al., 2009).
The stone deposit of Orosei is composed of Mesozoic lime-
stone and dolostones layers of Jurassic to Cretaceous age
(Lustrino et al., 2002). The types of stone contained in the
widespread Mesozoic limestones are light in colour; the chemical
composition of rock mass is constant throughout the deposit
(Siotto, 1982). From a lithological standpoint, the term ‘‘marble’’
is inaccurate because unlike “real” marble, the ‘‘Orosei Marble’’ is
actually an un-metamorphosed sedimentary rock, which is

Please cite this article in press as: Careddu, N., et al., Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for future uses in high value-
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4 N. Careddu et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7

Fig. 1. XRD analysis of slurry collected in factory 1.

classified as a polishable limestone on the stone market (Careddu samples were outgassed under slow heating (rate of 1  C min1) up
and Siotto, 2011). to 200  C and then held at the final temperature in a vacuum for
10 h. The specific surface area (S), the pore volume (VP) and the
pore size distributions were assessed by the BranauereEmmette
2.1. Procedures Teller (BET) and the BarretteJoynereHalenda (BJH) methods
respectively.
In order to better understand how the properties of marble Optical properties such brightness and colourimetry are
microfine dust can vary depending on stone working technologies, amongst the merchandising parameters often required to carbon-
the authors carried out sampling of sludge in five factories, all of ate powder (e.g. in the production of paper).
which followed different production cycles. Both stone-working
processes and technologies in use in the plants are shown in
Table 1; the business name of the plants have been omitted and are Table 3
indicated by numbers (1e5). Leaching test results and comparison with the limit value [mg/L] according to Italian
Legislative Decree no. 186/2006.
Sludge samples were collected at four different points of the
waste-water treatment plant in every factory: by the exit of the Waste Limit Sawdust samples
processing plant, from the settling tank: more specifically, in the parameters (IDL no. 186)
1 2 3 4 5
over- and under-size and from the filter press outlet port (where
SO42 250 11.76 <10 19.54
dewatered sludge were collected). <10 <10
Since the limestone microfine dust is an industrial waste, sam- CN- 0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05
ples have been previously carried out via a leaching test as required <0.05
by Italian Legislative Decree (2010). Leaching tests were carried out <0.05
Cu 0.05 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01
in compliance with UNI EN 12457-2 (2004).
<0.01
X-Ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed on the <0.01
dewatered slurries from the five plants. XRD patterns were recorded Zn 3 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01
on a X3000 Seifert diffractometer equipped with a graphite mono- <0.01
chromator. The scans were collected within the range of 10e80 (2q) <0.01
<0.002 <0.002 <0.002
using Cu Ka radiation (l ¼ 1.54 
Ni 0.01
A). Phase identification was performed <0.002
according with the Powder Diffraction File database (JCPDS, 1985). <0.002
Both fusion inductively coupled plasma (FUS-ICP) and fusion As 0.05 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
inductively coupled mass spectrometry (FUS-MS) were also used <0.001
<0.001
for investigating marble dust fractions and loss of ignition.
Cd 0.005 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005
The chemical composition of Orosei Marble had already been <0.0005
analysed (Siotto, 2006); it compares with the sawdust samples in <0.0005
the last column of Table 2. Crtot 0.05 <0.005 <0.005 <0.005
Bulk density of representative samples of the filter pressed <0.005
<0.005
material was determined using an AccuPyc 1330 gas pycnometer Pb 0.05 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
manufactured by Micromeritics Instruments. <0.001
Grain size analysis was conducted on the dry solid cake pro- <0.001
duced by the filter press of all processing plants using a Sedigraph Se 0.01 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
<0.001
5100 Analyser. This analysis was also conducted on the sample
<0.001
collected at the sawing section exit of factory #1 in order to eval- Hg 0.001 <0.0005 <0.0005 <0.0005
uate the influence of flocculant on particle-size distribution. <0.0005
Textural analysis was carried out on a Sorptomatic 1990 System <0.0005
Porosimeter (Fisons Instruments), by determining the nitrogen pH 5.5 <>12 9.48 9.63 9.57
9.52 9.50
adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K. Prior to analysis, the

Please cite this article in press as: Careddu, N., et al., Recovery of sawdust resulting from marble processing plants for future uses in high value-
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 N. Careddu et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7 5

Fig. 2. Grain size distribution of slurries collected in the five factories.

Optical properties of the microfine dust were determined in this levels allowed in landfills (ILD, 2010). Furthermore, the analytical
study according to UNI 8941 (1987) and UNI ISO 2470 (2010) results obtained here confirm that this type of waste does not
standard methods with Elrepho photoelectric reflectance require to be treated as hazardous waste and that marble dust is
photometer (Carl Zeiss, Germany). allowed to be used for making by-products.
The particle size distribution curves shown by the five samples
3. Results reveal the presence of significant amounts of very fine products.
The majority of the material presents grain sizes of below 5 mm as
All the samples show very similar XRD patterns, which are shown in Fig. 2.
consistent with the presence of the Calcium carbonate CaCO3 Filter R 457 was used to investigate brightness sawdust. Inter-
polymorph “Calcite” (Reference: PDF card 5-586). For example, estingly, the powder produced by factory #5 appears to be brighter
Fig. 1 shows the XRD spectra of marble dust derived from factory than the other ones. On the contrary, the microfine dust from #2 is
#1. more opaque. This could be due to the use of the resin and the
As shown in Table 2, chemical analysis of microfine dust samples consumption of smoothing Frankfurt sectors and polishing tools in
shows an absence of pollutants related to stone processing. The the honing-polishing line of the same company.
differences in the content may be linked to the small differences in Regarding colorimetry, the tristimulus values in the CIElab
chemical composition in various points of the limestone deposit, as system (also called CIE 1976 L*a*b*) were calculated with the
already found in Careddu and Marras (in press). appropriate formulae (UNI 8941, 1987). The processing of the re-
Table 3 shows the results of the leaching tests compared with sults shows a high tendency towards white (especially in the
the threshold values. All waste parameters were measured in the powder of factory #5), which is a strategic parameter for the paper
eluates, whose concentrations were below the limit specified in the industry.
table in Italian Legislative Decree no. 186 (2006b). Thanks to these
very low outcome, limestone dust can be subject to simplified
procedures in order to be recovered and re-used in accordance with Table 5
Italian regulations (IDL no. 152, 2006). In addition, this kind of Ground Calcium carbonate standards for rubber production.
waste is classified as inert as it does not exceed the concentration Standard Sawdust samples
requirements
1 2 3 4 5
Table 4
Ground Calcium carbonate standards for paper (depending on its requirements: Mean particle size 0.7e5.0 3.9 5.0 3.4 3.8 3.7
paper, paperboards, etc.). (d50) [mm]
Particles smaller 82e90 79.1 65.7 80.4 76.1 83.0
Standard Sawdust samples than 10.5 mm [%]
requirements SiO2 [%] <0.4 0.08 0.6 <0.01 <0.01 0.01
1 2 3 4 5
CIE L*a*b whiteness >71.0 95.7 94.3 95.9 95.6 96.7
Brigthness (R 457) [%] 80e96 84.57 79.22 84.88 84.16 87.13 index [%]
Particle size below 2 mm [%] 40e90 21.8 19.2 26.7 26.7 23.5 CIE L*a*b yellowness <6.0 3.41 9.98 6.81 7.08 6.10
2
Spec. surface (BET) [m /g] 2e20 2.16 1.84 2.42 2.01 1.95 index

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6 N. Careddu et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production xxx (2013) 1e7

Table 6
Calcium carbonate standards for tyre production.

Standard requirements Sawdust samples

1 2 3 4 5

CaCO3 content [%] 92 98.0 95.4 96.4 94.8 96.7

Bulk density [g/cm3] z2.70 2.720 2.693 2.661 2.697 2.767
Specific surface [m2/g] 4.5, e 5.0 2.16 1.84 2.42 2.01 1.95
Fineness
Thru#100 sieve [%] ¼100 99.0 99.9 99.2 100 98.5
Thru#325 sieve [%] 95 96.1 87.6 97.8 94.7 98.3
Top cut (D98) [mm] 9.50 47 77 47.5 40
Mean particle size (d50) [mm] 4.00 3.9 5.0 3.4 3.8 3.7
Residues
125 mm [%] 0.01 1.05 1.15 1.05 0.00 1.05
45 mm [%] 0.50 3.90 12.40 2.20 5.35 1.70
Whiteness (R457) [%] 82 84.57 79.22 84.88 84.16 87.13
Cu [%] 0.005 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001
Fe [%] 0.10 0.04 0.12 0.03 0.03 0.03
Mn [%] 0.05 0.005 0.009 0.007 0.005 0.004
Appearance White to light grey powder White powder White powder White powder White powder White powder

There is also a yellowish shading especially in the microfine dust #2 is slightly below standards). With regard to the particle size
from #2, as mentioned above. distribution, a cut size around 40 mm is suggested.

4. Discussion 5. Conclusions

Table 4 shows the GCC main standard requirements of paper
industry in relation to the properties of sawdust samples.
It is quite clear out of all the samples, the levels of brightness are
within the required range values with the exception of sawdust
collected in #2. This can be easily explained by the fact that that
company has a higher production of polished slabs, and conse-
quently, the high usage of smoothing and polishing tools can in-
fluence, albeit slightly, the features of the final microfine dust
(Careddu and Marras, in press).
With regard to particle size, sawdust needs of a size cut around
2.5e3 mm in order to fall within the range required by the standards
of paper industries.
The specific surface, measured on average equal to 2 m2/g, could
also increase its value as a result of a size cut.
Table 5 shows the GCC main standard requirements of rubber
industry in relation to the properties of sawdust samples.
It is interesting to note how d50 of all samples falls within the
standards. However, in this case too, a cut size (around 12e13 mm)
is needed so that the percentage of particles below 10.5 mm can fall
within the standards.
The SiO2 content in sludge samples is always less than the
required standard, with the exception of sawdust collected in #2
because the high use of smoothing tools, as mentioned before.
The white index is an excellent value for all samples, while the
yellowness index is regarded as a borderline standard requirement,
which is typically exceeded above all in those factories having both
resin-coating installation and belt polishing machinery (#2 and
#4).
To improve sawdust properties -both SiO2 content and yellow-
ness index- the wastewater from the sawing sections only needs to
be collected in order to be diverted to a separate section of the
water-treatment plant; in this way the sludges deriving from resin-
coating (slab reinforcement) and polishing processes will be stored
separately.
Lastly, the GCC main standard requirements for tyres production
compared with the properties of sawdust samples are shown in
Table 6.
There is no doubt that all the samples satisfy required standard
on CaCO3, Cu, Mn, Fe, bulk density, specific surface, appearance and
brightness (although the brightness levels of sawdust collected in
Studies carried out so far have shown that the properties of
microfine sawdust deriving from the stone-processing plants
within the Orosei Marble quarrying area satisfactorily meet stan-
dards requirements of CaCO3 for high value-added products as
paper, rubber and tires.
To improve brightness, colourimetric and chemical properties of
sawdust, some changes in the sewage line may be required.
Although the average particle size is below 5 microns, a cut size
(in order to set down d50 below 2 mm) could be required depending
on the industrial sectors where this kind of sawdust could be sold.
It is important to stress that the anionic flocculant, used in
wastewater treatment to accelerate the sedimentation of sludge,
can slightly affect particle size distribution. In fact, grain size
analysis carried out on sludges collected at the exit of the sawing/
cutting section (factory 1) showed a d50 ¼ 3.3 mm; this value is
lower than the d50 of the sawdust sampled downstream the filter
press of the same factory (as already shown in Fig. 2).
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank to thank dr. Stefania Puxeddu for her
linguistic support and dr. Maria Francesca Casula for having carried
out the analysis by porosimeter.
Gratefully acknowledges Sardinia Regional Government for the
financial support (P.O.R. Sardegna F.S.E. Operational Programme of
the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, European Social Fund 2007-
2013 e Axis IV Human Resources, Objective l.3, Line of Activity l.3.1
“Avviso di chiamata per il finanziamento di Assegni di Ricerca”).
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