Artificial arenite from wastes of natural sandstone industry

An artificial arenite was developed from the waste of the sandstone industry. The waste sandstone was treated to obtain different grain sizes that were recombined to reproduce the natural texture. An unsaturated polyester resin was added to the mixture of grains and the cement polymerization was initiated with methyl ethyl ketone peroxide. The product was compacted under pressure of 1.5 to 9.7 MPa and cured at 70 °C. The result was a new material with the appearance of the natural rock. Artificial sandstones were studied by SEM microanalysis, petrography study and XRF analysis. Measurements of flexural strength (9.9 MPa), apparent density (2110 kg/cm³), open porosity (7.6%), water absorption (1.2%), abrasion resistance (19 mm) and photostability (AE * = - 0.009) were carried out. The influence of the design of the mixture and its composition (fraction of aggregates, resin content and pressure) on the texture and the mechanical properties was studied.