Recovery of residual materials - granite sludge

“Repurposing non biodegradable waste into alternative raw materials and its applications in the ceramic industry.”

In parallel to its product development activities, Studio Mineral is conducting research into alternative raw materials and its applications in the ceramic industry. Two years ago, Studio Mineral approached the Centre for Technology Transfer in Industrial Ecology (CTTEI) to explore how non biodegradable materials could be repurposed into new raw materials. Studio Mineral also approached companies such as Polycor, who is a Canadian, American and French manufacturer of natural stones for distributors, fabricators, architects and designers. Polycor provides multiple granite powder directly sourced from stone quarries or plants located in Quebec (Stanstead, Rivière-à-Pierre, Cambrian).

Over the last few months, experiments were conducted in a studio environment with these materials to assess whether certain traditional materials could be repurposed in slipcasting (such as feldspar). These experiments led to promising results and make these materials a serious contender to act as a flux in the clay mix and certain oxides which generate rich and interesting colours ranging from a chocolate brown to a light grey. There is also significant potential associated with using these materials in glaze recipes.

Studio Mineral is hoping to bring together collaborators from industry, the mining sector, and the science and design fields to explore news ways to approach materials. This experimentation may lead to new product lines for Studio Mineral in the near future. More details to become available soon…

Porcelain samples with powder granite from the 3 locations
Special thanks to Polycor and CTTEI