ST45: BASGRAN : PREMIUM COMPOSITE

TS. MOHAMAD ASROFI BIN MUSLIM UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

As the global demand for granite continues to rise, the relevance of granite waste becomes more pronounced. The escalating demand directly correlates with an increase in generated granite waste, which comprises varying sizes, from large pieces to smaller fragments, dust, and additional debris. Efficient waste management becomes crucial due to the challenging nature of this waste, occupying valuable landfill space and posing potential hazards if not handled and disposed of properly. In response to these challenges, this study endeavors to innovate by creating a novel composite utilizing micro granite as a filler and basalt fiber as the matrix. The fabrication process involves hand layup and vacuum silicon mould techniques. The results of the analysis and testing exhibit a noteworthy enhancement in tensile, flexural, compression, and impact strength as the weight percentage of micro granite increases. The optimal weight percentage, observed in all mechanical tests, is 3wt%. However, exceeding 5wt% of micro granite leads to a decrease in mechanical properties, with agglomeration observed in SEM analysis for samples with 5wt% micro granite. The substitution of glass with basalt brings about substantial improvements, including a 264% increase in tensile strength, a 65% boost in flexural strength, a 43% rise in compression strength, and an impressive 272% augmentation in impact strength. This application of micro granite not only enhances mechanical properties but also addresses waste reduction in the granite industry, contributing to sustainable resource utilization.