Obtaining of oil blocks as a way to manage hazardous asbestos

Abstract

In the second half of the 20th century, asbestos extraction was up to 4 Mt/year. Due to its high strength and insulation properties, this mineral was used as an additive in building materials. Over time these materials were destroyed by the process of weathering and leaching. Asbestos fibers in dust form penetrate the respiratory system causing diseases. This article proposes the binding of hazardous asbestos fibers in a polymer matrix formed from waste cooking oil. Compact materials were produced by heating catalyzed waste cooking oil and asbestos waste, and the process of obtaining these materials was optimized and their physicochemical and strength properties were determined. Oil-asbestos blocks contained sulfuric acid in a mass ratio of 0.05-0.30, being the mass of waste cooking oil, invariable mass of filling and 20% of waste cooking oil to the mass of the whole mixture. The materials were characterized by a compact structure and high hardness. The best mechanical strength above 140 N/mm was obtained for blocks with low acid to oil mass ratio ranging from 0.05 to 0.1125.

Keywords: Asbestos; Asbestos waste; Eternit; Waste cooking oil; Waste management.