Estudo das propriedades físicas e mecânicas de peças confeccionadas a partir de rejeitos de granito Branco Itaúnas por processamento cerâmico em função da variação da pressão de compactação

Abstract

The ornamental stone industry has been playing an important role in Brazil, being a prominent country in relation to the production of these materials. However, the evolution of the sector has brought with it the high generation of waste resulting from the production process, resulting in environmental impacts due to the inadequate disposal of these wastes in the environment. In this sense, there is a need to seek measures to reuse this waste, indicating a viable and ecologically correct destination. In view of the above, the present work aims to study the potential of Branco Itaúnas granite waste as raw material for the production of sintered parts, through ceramic processing, with the help of analysis of physical properties and mechanical tests. The specimens were manufactured by obtaining powder from Branco Itaúnas granite compacted under four different compaction loads: 20 kN, 40 kN, 60 kN, 80 kN and sintered at 1140 °C for two hours. Therefore, visual and microscopic evaluation of the pieces was carried out and then the physical properties were diagnosed, through mass variation, volumetric variation, apparent specific density, real loose grain density and apparent porosity tests; together with mechanical properties, through hardness and diametral compression tests. Therefore, the results showed that there was a similar variation in volume and mass, depending on the compaction loads, in the specimens after sintering, in addition to the occurrence of an increase in specific density and reduction in porosity in relation to the increase in applied pressure. Finally, mechanical hardness and diametral compression tests indicated an increase in results according to the increase in compaction pressure, with a tendency towards stability for loads from 60 kN of compaction.