Amorphous Calcium Silicate Granules for Composite Stone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing granular materials for composite stone articles result in the formation of harmful crystalline silicon dioxide powders, leading to health risks and generate significant waste and high energy consumption, with existing solutions either not addressing the crystalline silicon dioxide issue or increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method that recovers manufacturing waste to produce granular materials with a chemical composition suitable for use as aggregates and fillers, devoid of crystalline silicon dioxide, by melting a mixture of selected minerals with specific weight ranges and incorporating machining waste, followed by vacuum vibrocompression and hardening, to create amorphous calcium silicate materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If quartz, cristobalite, or siliceous materials are used for aggregates and fillers, then articles achieve high scratch resistance and chemical resistance, but crystalline silicon dioxide powders are formed during manufacturing causing health hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the crystalline structure parameter of silicon dioxide from crystalline to amorphous form. By using amorphous silicon dioxide-based materials instead of crystalline quartz or cristobalite, the material maintains its hardness and chemical resistance while eliminating the health hazards associated with crystalline dust inhalation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs conventional materials that are already widely available and well-understood in the industry, such as amorphous silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide. These materials provide the necessary performance characteristics without requiring exotic or expensive substances, making the solution economically viable.
2Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing waste is disposed of conventionally, then waste management is simplified, but disposal costs increase and environmental impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a waste recovery system where manufacturing waste from previous production cycles is collected, ground into fine powder, and reused as filler material in new production batches. This closed-loop approach eliminates waste disposal costs while reducing raw material consumption and maintaining product quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovered manufacturing waste serves multiple functions: it acts as a filler material, provides structural support in the composite, and reduces the need for virgin raw materials. The same waste stream is utilized across different production batches, creating a universal solution that applies continuously to the manufacturing process.
3Manufacturing precision
If high amounts of energy are consumed for melting minerals, then granular materials with desired properties are produced, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary size reduction of manufacturing waste into fine powder before reuse, eliminating the need for high-energy melting operations. The ground waste material is directly incorporated into the mix with the binder, achieving the desired granular composition without the energy-intensive melting and cooling cycle required by conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal processing system (melting furnace) with a mechanical processing system (grinding mill). By using mechanical energy to grind waste material into fine powder instead of thermal energy to melt minerals, the process achieves comparable material properties with significantly lower energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces the formation of harmful crystalline silicon dioxide, decreases waste disposal costs, and lowers energy consumption by utilizing machining waste as a resource, resulting in cost-effective production of articles with desired mechanical and aesthetic properties.
Implementation Method 1
The method involves melting a mixture of selected minerals with specific weight ranges
Implementation Method 2
followed by vacuum vibrocompression and hardening, to create amorphous calcium silicate materials
Implementation Method 3
the mix is subjected to vibration with simultaneous pressing or compression under a vacuum (vacuum vibrocompression)
Data Source
AI summary
Method for the production of granular materials designed to be used as aggregates and fillers in a mix containing a binder for the manufacture of articles in slab or block form. The method comprises a step of melting a mixture of selected minerals having a specific chemical composition, a step of casting the molten material, a step of cooling the cast material until a predetermined temperature is reached and a step of crushing and/or grinding the cooled material to obtain granular materials having a selected particle size and suitable for use as aggregates or fillers in the mix for the manufacture of articles in slab or block form. Moreover, the method comprises, upstream of the melting step, a step for recovery and collection of the manufacturing waste of other previously manufactured articles. The manufacturing waste is designed to compose at least partially the mixture of selected minerals. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing articles in slab or block form from a mix containing the aggregates and the fillers and a binder.