Page 64 - CleanIndiaJournal June Digital Issue
P. 64
Waste ManageMent
Coal to concrete:
Converting waste to resource
Once a coal mine’s How is waste from What processes do you
reserves are exhausted, it is coal mining currently put GOB through?
left abandoned, along with processed? How does Washing: The material is
all the waste generated by your approach differ? thoroughly washed and churned.
The process divides it into sludge,
Bituminous coal mining
the mining process. This generates waste known as large shale, tiny coal pieces and
waste, if left unprocessed, Garbage of Bituminous (GOB), grey water. The grey water is
filtered and reused back into this
can harm the environment which contains iron, manganese process.
and aluminium and causes acid
Sieving: The sludge goes
and nearby communities drainage, sediment release and through an additional process
for decades together. release of fine coal particles where it is separated into
On the other hand, that can harm waterways. medium-sized particles (which
Additionally, GOB piles emit
are directly used as a replacement
increasing urbanisation is greenhouse gases, including for sand in Gobcrete), large
catapulting the demand carbon dioxide and methane, as particles and wet slurry.
well as toxic substances such as
Drying and crushing: All
for construction material, carbon monoxide and mercury. the particles, including sieved
the production of which is Coal dump sites produce 1,200- large particles mixed with large
8,200 kilograms CO /m
2
2
very carbon-intensive. per year. shale and wet slurry, are dried
and crushed. The washed and
Conventionally, shale and separated tiny coal pieces are
Dr Binish Desai, CEO, Eco sludge is washed off from this dried, crushed and given for
Ecletic Tech and better waste, and only low-quality charcoal manufacturing.
Eco Processing: All the
known as the Recycle coal is recovered. Our process is ingredients extracted are mixed
different; for us, shale and sludge
Man of India, has found are precious resources, and low- together along with our eco binder
a way to solve both these quality coal is a byproduct. We to create a mixture which after
reuse every component of GOB.
drying, becomes Eureka Gobcrete.
problems by making coal
waste a resource for
manufacturing a substitute
of concrete, called
Gobcrete.
In this interview, he
speaks about how coal
waste is processed,
the characteristics of
the product and other
construction-related
innovations.
JUNE 2023•Clean India Journal
64 www.cleanindiajournal.com
