Recycling studies of marble processing waste: Composites based on commercial epoxy resin

Marble waste was obtained from marble processing plant wastewater with precipitation using different coagulants, such as sepiolite, zeolite, and pumice in dosages of 0.58 g/500 mL and mixed in 20 wt % with commercial epoxy resin. The effects of marble, coagulant type and dosage on the physicomechanical and thermal properties were investigated. The incorporation of marble processing waste particles increases the 10% decomposition temperature of pure epoxy by 550 degrees C. Surface hardness, tensile strength, percentage elongation, and stress at maximum load of the composites were higher than those of pure resin, too. The composites reinforced with marble processing waste-pumice showed about 10% increase in elastic modulus, whereas the composite reinforced with marble processing waste-sepiolite or zeolite showed about 76.67143.33% increase in elastic modulus over the pure epoxy matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for characterization of surface and cross sections of the composites to verify the results. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012