Aproveitamento dos resíduos cauliníticos das indústrias de beneficiamento de caulim da região amazônica como matéria-prima para fabricação de um material de construção (pozolanas)

Abstract

The Capim and Jarí regions are the most important kaolin district in the Amazon region, with the largest Brazilian reserves of high whiteness kaolin for paper coating products. Kaolin is obtained from three companies (IRCC, PPSA and CADAM) which produce annually around 1,000 M ton kaolinite-rich wastes derived mainly from the centrifugation phase of the process. The sludge is disposed on artificial sedimentary lakes covering large areas. Another type of kaolin waste is related to a non-processed iron-rich hard or flint kaolin, that overlays the so-called soft kaolin horizon (the main ore). These wastes exhibit appropriate characteristics for the production of high-reactivity metakaolin because they are extremely fine and composed of mainly by kaolinite. The main purpose of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of using these wastes as raw materials to produce mineral admixtures for OPC concretes. The wastes were firstly characterized for x-rays diffraction, thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, x-rays fluorescence and SEM. Three heating temperatures were evaluated: 750ºC, 850ºC and 900ºC, followed by pozzolanic activity tests based on traditional mechanical assays using Portland cement and hydrated lime mortars, and “Chapelle” test. The results showed that the more reactive pozzolans are those produced at temperatures that gave rise to higher LOI. The optimum burning temperature to produce metakaolinite from the hard kaolin was obtained at 750ºC while those from the Rio Jari and Rio Capim wastes were at 850ºC and 900ºC. The main reason is related to differences in the amounts of defects from three different wastes. The flint kaolin and Rio Jari waste are mainly composed by a “high-defect” kaolinite while the kaolinite from Rio Capim waste is a “lowdefect” kaolinite. In concrete test using different pozzolans those with metakaolin from wastes improved the mechanical and durability properties in comparasion to silica fume, a industrially manufactured metakaolin and reference concretes.