Layman Report. Eco-stone. January 2010-December 2012 LIFE08 ENV/E/ CEVALOR AIDICO LEVANTINA NTUA LASMAR

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1 Layman Report CEVALOR January 2010-December 2012 Eco-stone AIDICO LEVANTINA NTUA LASMAR

2 Table of contents Abstract Description of the sector Project Objectives Project Actions Valuable properties of natural stone Technologies proposed Energy audits in natural stone manufacturing The wish-list of the natural stone industry Results Project influence on natural stone Abstract The ECO-STONE project Sustainable System Implementation for Natural Stone Production and Use is an European project financed by the EC through the LIFE+ programme. It is coordinated by AIDICO with the participation of LEVANTINA y ASOCIADOS DE MINERALES (Spain) and institutions from strategic areas for the natural stone production in Europe: CEVALOR (Portugal) and the NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, NTUA and LASKARIDIS MARBLE (Greece). The project has a duration of 3 years, with a total budget of and an EC contribution of The dimensional stone industry even though is a traditional activity with a rather significant influence on the economy of the country, has environmental and social constraints that compromise their relationship with the surroundings. The ornamental rock companies should be managed through a sustainable perspective with the integration of economic, environmental and social aspects as key factors towards a better efficiency of the current process and for continuing this industry for future generations. The main objective was to implement and disseminate the different aspects and technologies related to the sustainable development of the processes for dimensional stone manufacturing. Description of the sector Natural stone production has many related environmental problems, including very low energy efficiency and productivity, generation of huge amounts of waste and non-optimised use of natural resources. The impact and significance of these problems become apparent when considering that to produce 190 m 2 (7 tonnes) of stone tiles, corresponding to 1

3 the average floor area of a modern house, it is necessary to quarry 100 tonnes of natural stone. Overall production efficiency, therefore, is only 7%. The main reasons for this are: - The high proportion of blocks and slabs that are unsuitable or destroyed during saving and cutting, because of internal defects, fractures and cracks. - The low speed of drilling and cutting equipment, meaning that final stone product production is a long process with high energy consumption. - Loss of useful stone during cutting, because of the increased thickness of the cutting tools. Project Objectives Implementation, dissemination and promotion of a sustainable system in order to enhance the production and use of natural stone, by using the best available techniques and products to produce a sustainable stone. Environmental The new system proposed will reduce the wastes to the environment. CO 2 emissions reduction. Social Improvement of life quality and human comfort in buildings due to the reduction of temperature fluctuations between day and night using natural materials. Industrial To increase the competitiveness of the natural stone sector due to the development of new technologies and materials. Economical Energy reduction during the stone production will be reduced with the new technologies and new materials with energy storage properties. Scientific-technological Implementation of the new technologies and innovative materials in the natural stone sector. 2

4 Project Actions ACTION 1: Management and coordination of the project. Coordinator: AIDICO ACTION 2: Value chain analysis in terms of energy consumption, wastes, environmental impact, raw materials use and production chain yield. Coord.: CEVALOR ACTION 3: Eco-efficiency of the natural stone production chain. Best available techniques. Demonstration activities. Feasibility of the new technologies and products. Coord.: NTUA ACTION 4: Sustainability of the stone new eco-efficient production chain and use: The use of the ECO-STONE label as construction materials. Coord.: AIDICO ACTION 5:.System implementation and industrial dissemination. Coord.: LASMAR ACTION 6: Dissemination programme. Sustainable eco-stone label in architectural solution and construction use. Coord.: LEVANTINA Management and coordination ACTION 1 Value chain analysis ACTION 2 Energy consumption Stone wastes Environmental impact Raw materials Production yield New efficient STONE materials Eco -efficiency ACTION 3 Sustainability ACTION 4 Dissemination.. Application in construction Implementation.. Industrial dissemination ACTION 5 ACTION 6 ECO -STONE 3

5 Valuable properties of NATURAL STONE Main technologies proposed for implementation in ECO-STONE project New systems fast and ultra-thin for cutting marble and granite Reinforcing techniques for natural stone to reduce breakages. Waterborne resins for natural stone consolidation New materials based on natural stone with multifunctional properties, heat storage capacity and self-cleaning properties New management systems and products based on natural stone wastes Energy audits in natural stone industries Energy efficiency of a vertically organized enterprise (quarry and processing plant) is function of raw material properties, type of end products and size of production. Necessity to adopt a methodology capable of identifying, defining, estimating and assessing energy flows in natural stone quarries and processing plants, accounting for details and peculiarities of the examined processes. Any improvement in energy consumption will naturally have a direct beneficial impact to 4

6 greenhouse gases emissions and as such will improve the sustainability of the plant The wish-list of the natural stone industry Production of state-of-the-art products with minimum energy and environmental costs Enhance sustainability: minimize waste disposals, reduce CO 2 emissions Improve integration of advanced and energy-efficient production processes Optimize the production chain both in terms of financial feasibility and environmental performance Enhance energy efficiency Results of the ECO-STONE project Consolidation of blocks and slabs Increased effectiveness of the natural stone production chain by increasing the cohesion of fractured blocks and slabs by means of environmentally friendly consolidation agents based on water borne resins. Reduction of the emission of pollutants (VOC) to atmosphere by substituting organic consolidating agents by water based resins. Increased durability of natural stone. Reduction in maintenance works after placing. Mechanical properties of the natural stone are re-established by increasing cohesion of the defected stone material. Due to the absence of VOCs low shrinkage during curing is produced. New thin cutting disc Conventional cutting disc was modified according to software simulation results and manufactured with a reduced thickness. Original disk Thin cutter disk 6 mm 6 mm 6 mm 3 mm 5

7 Reduced energy consumption (around 5% according to laboratory tests) compared to conventional disc Reduced force (strength) during cutting process (around 6% according to laboratory tests), increasing the life cycle of the cutting disc Reduced production times and stone wastes. Natural Stone with energy storage capacity Phase Change Materials (PCMs) as thermal energy storage materials Eco-sustainable solution to the worldwide increase 1. Energy savings in heating/cooling systems 2. Enhancement of thermal comfort inside the building: reduction of temperature fluctuations between day and night (2-3 ºC) and different rooms inside the building 3. Storage of the heat from outdoors 4. Avoid excessive heat from outdoors 5. Protection of the natural stone in extreme climatic variations. High viability of the comfort natural stone due to the high number of applications: walls, floors, indoors, outdoors, etc. 6

8 Self-cleaning Natural Stone Self-cleaning agents are clean products, environmentally friendly and low cost. Increase of the natural stone durability against external agents and pollutants (graffitis, dust, air pollution, bacteria). Cleaning of surfaces. Hydrophilic surface. The increase of the wettability of natural stone favors the spreading of water on the surface. Dirtiness can be easily removed. Higher number of applications of natural stone. Natural stone could be used even in places with adverse climatological conditions. Delay on the ageing of natural stone. Therefore, maintenance and repairing works are delayed. Uniformity of surfaces. Façades of building are exposed to sun, water, wind and traffic particles, etc. However, the effects are different on the different heights of the building. The use of self-cleaning stones allows a higher uniformity of façades. Self-cleaning properties for natural stone placed outdoors or indoors. Improvement of air quality and human health. The enhancement of air quality due to the reduction of pollutants improves human health. Expected influence of Eco-stone project on natural stone manufacturing efficiency Existing Production Chain New Production Chain Natural stone 1000 Tn 1000 Tn Finished Products 1900 m m 2 70 Tn 158 Tn Efficiency 7% 16 % 7

9 Project Message With these new products and technologies, the production chain of natural stone is enhanced in terms of energy consumption reduction (CO 2 emission reduction) and with final products more efficient energetically. 3.2 TnCO 2 -eq/1000m toe/1000m 2 ECO - STONE New functionalities for natural stone are based not only on aesthetical properties NOWADAYS CONSERVATIVE TARGET FULL TARGET but also on a higher comfort for habitats, new performances and architectural solutions and an improvement in the energy efficiency of natural stone. Therefore, the benefits obtained with the implementation of these procedures and products are directly addressed to producers, final users and the environment. 8