Using glycerin, a by-product of biodiesel, as a grinding aid in the dry grinding of marble dust waste

Abstract

Glycerin represents the primary by-product of biodiesel generation when vegetable oil is transesterified with ethanol or methanol. Nowadays, the need to turn to alternative materials is increasing due to the competition arising from developing technology and industry and the rapid consumption of Earth’s resources. It is essential to study how to prevent the depletion of natural resources and transform wastes into usable and valuable products. The use of waste glycerin (WG) as a grinding aid can constitute an alternative solution in terms of utilizing the excess glycerin resulting from biodiesel production. This paper investigated the usability of WG as a grinding aid in terms of grinding efficiency while planning to decrease the adverse impacts of waste on the environment via its efficient utilization. The dry grinding experiments conducted within the study’s scope researched the impacts of five biodiesel dosages (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% by weight) on the product. The current research is promising in terms of preventing the depletion of natural resources and transforming waste into usable and valuable products. Furthermore, considerable enhancements were obtained in the grinding performance with the grinding aid utilized.