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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/T05332/01
Title: Gypsum Waste Reduction
Principal Investigator: Claisse, Professor PA
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Professor E Ganjian
Project Partners:
Huntsman Tioxide Lafarge Plasterboard Ltd
Department: Science and the Environment
Organisation: Coventry University
Scheme: Faraday (PreFEC)
Starts: 01 October 2004 Ends: 30 September 2007 Value (£): 73,422
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Waste Minimisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing
Related Grants:
GR/T05356/01 GR/T05349/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project aims to make use of the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of gypsum which go to waste in the UK each year. Although we use very large amounts of gypsum in the manufacture of plaster and cement and are net importers we still deposit very large quantities in landfills. This is because the gypsum that is wasted has impurities in it and cannot be used directly.In this work two main ideas will be investigated: Firstly different ways of using the contaminated gypsum will be investigated and secondly a new concept for modifying the process which produces much of the waste will be developed. This modification to the process should produce clean reusable gypsum in place of the contaminated waste.Three methods for using the contaminated product will be investigated:Firstly systems will be investigated to make products, such as building blocks, from it in which the contaminants are sealed inside and will not wash out to affect building finishes of the environment.Secondly it will be mixed with other wastes to make a novel low-strength concrete for backfilling trenches in roads and other similar applications.Thirdly a new process will be investigated in which the waste gypsum is mixed with waste acid and forms plaster products, such as covings, without the need for the heating which is required in the normal manufacture of plaster. This has the potential to save a substantial amount of energy.The work will be carried out jointly by Coventry University, Imperial College and Birmingham University and will be sponsored by Lafarge Plasterboard and Huntsman Tioxide in addition to the 256,000 research grant.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Summary
Date Materialised
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Project URL: http://www.claisse.info
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.cov.ac.uk