Industrial\nCalcium Byproduct Waste: Sustainable Construction\nMaterials for Building Applications

A sustainable and novel approach has been explored for\nutilizing\ncalcium-rich byproduct waste as a pragmatic solution to address solid\nindustrial waste generation. This initiative advances new construction\ntechnologies by developing cement-free wall putty. Industrial activities\ngenerate calcium-rich byproduct waste on million-ton scale, which\nis often disposed of in the open environment, leading to its accumulation\nin landfills. Production of a large volume of industrial calcium byproduct\nwaste creates serious environmental challenges and several negative\nconsequences like depletion of soil fertility, impact on biodegradation\nprocesses, etc. Although utilization of industrial byproduct waste\nin solid waste management has been extensively documented in scientific\nliterature, to the best of our knowledge, research on the utilization\nof calcium byproduct waste for the development of cement-free wall\nputty remains unexplored so far. However, commercially available wall\nputty is composed of dolomite, white cement, and cellulose polymer\nadditives. The outlined scheme utilizes calcium byproduct waste of\nthe acetylene gas industry and pulp industry as calcium hydroxide\nand calcium carbonate, respectively. Despite the modification in raw\nmaterials, the resulting wall putty exhibits properties and performance\nalmost similar to those of commercially available wall putty with\nthe added advantage of being safe and free from heavy metal ion contaminants.\nThe unique selling proposition of this putty powder lies in its low\ncarbon footprint as a construction material, free from white cement.\nAdditionally, it offers superior performance by resisting cracking\nand flaking of paints, ensuring long-lasting and durable wall finishes.\nThe X-ray diffraction profile of the putty powder reveals the crystalline\nstructure of the calcite and portlandite phases. SEM studies show\nan agglomerated structure due to attractive van der Waals interactions\nof the putty paste containing hydroxyl functionalities with the polymer\nmatrix. Scalable strategies outlined in this article not only align\nwith domestic technological development but also promote the waste-to-wealth\napproach, contributing to recycling and reuse of byproduct waste.\nThe presented initiative supports several United Nations Sustainable\nDevelopment Goals which emphasize the importance of sustainability\nin industrial practices, environmental concerns, and restoration materials\nfor conservation of cultural heritage structures.