FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE USE OF IRON ORE TAILINGS AS PIGMENT IN POLYPROPYLENE RESINS

Abstract

The Brazilian mining industry plays a significant role in the country's economy; however, it also generates large volumes of tailings during the ore beneficiation process, resulting in severe environmental impacts. Recent research has explored the potential of iron ore tailings as a raw material in the manufacture of construction materials, with the aim of promoting environmental impact reduction. The characteristic coloring acquired by the materials produced can contribute to their application in some segments, where the aesthetic factor is relevant. In this study, we sought to evaluate the applicability of iron ore tailings, from the dam-breaking disaster that occurred in Mariana-MG, as a pigment for polypropylene, widely used as a polymeric matrix for composites, especially plastic wood. Samples were developed with different contents of polypropylene and iron ore tailings, the latter varying from 1 to 10% in mass, from the processes of thermokinetic mixing, milling, extrusion, pelletization and hot compression. The produced specimens were analyzed as to their appearance, and evaluated as to their mechanical performance. The results obtained show that the tailings have a high pigmentation power when incorporated into the polypropylene, besides not compromising its performance in terms of mechanical properties, even providing flexural strength gains.

Keywords

• Iron ore dam tailings
• Pigmentation
• Civil Engineering
• Polymeric matrix