Using waste rock from mining as building insulation material

¶ … Superior Insulation Compositions in Assorted Rocks

Mining and other industrial activities produce a ton of waste and do a wealth of environmental damage. Aside from these negative byproducts, there's a ton of wasted rock that needs to be dealt with after the mining activities are finished. Harnessing the wasted rock is a wise idea for insulation, as it offers the world a safer, more cost-effective and greener solution for a wealth of insulation needs. This paper discusses the viability of a range of natural and unnatural insulators, ultimately testing and selecting Neo-Block. The advantages of Neo-Block are highlighted, as are a few of its short-comings which are addressed and a solution offered.

Introduction and Overview

What many lay people don't understand about mining activities, is that after they're completed, much of the rock is left over. A common example of this issue, and one which is controversial as well are with mountaintop removal mines: coal companies actually take off the tops of the mountains with dynamite and earth-moving machines known as draglines, in order to uncover the coal seams (nasa.gov). "The waste rock -- the remains of the mountains -- is piled into neighboring hollows in towering earthen dams called valley fills. The largest fills can approach 800 feet in height and swallow more than a mile of streambed" (nasa.gov). In areas of the country like southern West Virginia, the practice is extremely pervasive and some of these massive mines fill an expanse of thousands and thousands of acres and still continue to grow.

The problem here is not simply one of waste and destruction to the environment. It revolves around the process of most industrial mining companies use to obtain the specific rock they need. They cut out about 5m cube and then extract the rock they need from a specific area. Once the most saturated portion of a block has been removed, all the rest are treated as garbage and thrown away or stockpiled as they are in the coal mines. Since these mountains of recyclable rocks take up so much space and resources, it is reasonable to suggest that a viable alternative would be to recycle these potentially beneficial rocks in environmentally responsible ways. The damage to the environment should not be underestimated. Downstream from these mountain mines and valley fill sites, the water quality degrades: streambeds and other bodies of water often reflect concentrations of potentially toxic elements such as nickel, lead, cadmium, iron and selenium (nasa.gov). This negatively impacts the aquatic life, forcing it to decline and compromises the integrity of surrounding forests (nasa.gov).

Rocks are still a resource, even if it's not immediately apparent. Based on professional experience in the construction industry and empirical observations concerning insulation practices, the notion occurred to this researcher that these rocks could possibly be used as an insulator.

Hypothesis

What petroleum-unrelated material would be able to take the role of the leading industrial insulator, considering the following characteristics?

Constructability

Processability

Economical

Environmental

Methodology

Each prototype was made twice for them to be averaged out on each data concerning relative densities, thermal conductivity and other characteristics. Preparatory to this data analysis, the pre-experiment categorization of minerals was conducted to gain empirical observations concerning the real-world behaviours of these rocks and their associated materials. Each prototype was made through

-Powdering a mineral

-Mixing minerals

-Baking the mix at 1350 Degrees (Celsius)

Pre-Experiment

To observe how dangerous industrial insulators can be in a fire, I conducted an experiment to see the potential damage of industrial insulators to a human being.

The results of the pre-experiment are set forth in Table 1 below.

Results of Pre-Experiment: February 17, 2012 (Table 1)

Description of Activities/Findings

Today, I conducted a Combustion Exam to see how each insulator could possibly damage someone when it's on fire. Experiment was done in a fashion to differentiate reactions to fire. In these pictures, burning Styrofoam can be seen. It can be observed that large amount of toxic gas is generated as it burned over time period of 6 minutes. Its level of danger in a real fire is very high, making it a hazard to be used in ordinary houses

This is a picture of burning urethane. It can be observed that some amount of smoke is generated as the fire slowly gets smaller after the initial ignition. The fire was out once 1 minute. Its level of danger is medium-high.

This is the picture of burning polyethylene. It can be observed that large amount of toxic gas is generated as it burned over time period of 3 minutes. Its level of danger in a real fire is very high, making it a hazard.

These pictures illustrate burning glass wool. It can be observed that no smoke is generated since glass wool does not catch fire. The fire was out instantly. Its level of danger is very low.

The majority of the substances tested in this experiment offer a toxic gas when burned, a fact which should not be taken lightly. The ignition of polystyrene polymers found in things like foam cups, egg containers, and certain types of insulation releases styrene, a toxic substance. This substance can be absorbed into the lungs and skin, something that is hazardous for humans.

Data Analysis and Results

The results of the data analysis are presented in Table 6.

Raw Aggregate Results of Data Analysis

The respective relative densities, thermal conductivity, maximum temperatures, and other characteristics of the rocks involved are presented in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 below.

Figure 2, and 3.

Figure 4 and 5

Figure 6

Rocks Involved

Relative Density

Thermal Conductivity (W/mk)

Perlite + Obsidian

2.35

0.021-0.025

Basalt + Pitchstone