Synthesis of pigment using waste sludge from rubber-based industry

Abstract

In the new global economy towards sustainable manufacturing, the industries need to produce products through economic processes while minimizing the negative impacts to the environment through recycling, reducing or utilizing their wastes. The research to date has tended to focus on producing fertilizer or brick from waste sludge rather than making colouring pigments which have higher economic value in the global market. Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) widely used as a coagulant during the wastewater treatment process in rubber-based industry resulted in producing sludge rich with aluminium oxide (Al2O3). This aluminise can be synthesized with metal oxide to become colouring pigments using solid-state reaction method. There is several analytical experiments to find the quality of the pigment and colour produced which include XRF, UV-Vis Spectra, and also SEM. Those metal oxides that have been selected to synthesis with the sludge are Fe2O3 and MnO2. The colours after calcinations are very different to each other. The calcinations temperature also effect the colour of pigment produced.