Mohini Saxena, Prateek Mehrotra and P. Asokan

Due to the colossal increase in industrialization, the generation of wastes resulting from different extraction, beneficiation and generation processes has aggravated the problem of waste disposal. The best and most acceptable way is to process the waste in accordance with its potential for the generation of high-value, lucrative composite goods. The study in this paper elucidates the potential of several industrial wastes, such as fly ash, red mud and marble-slurry dust for the production of different wood-substitute products for use as partitions, flooring tiles, doors, and pre-fabricated houses for use on disaster sites.

Wastes were initially characterized according to their physical, chemical and mineralogical properties, and then used in various formulations with binders like polymer, along with natural fibres, to intensify the physical as well as mechanical properties of the resultant composite. The study also reveals that these composites have better mechanical properties than the ones currently available, such as teak, medium-density board, rice-husk board, etc. Also the fly-ash and red-mud composites have better mechanical properties than marble-slurry-based composites. The results support the use of natural fibres, in conjunction with industrial waste, in the generation of eco-friendly composites.