Alternative use of deinking sludge as a source of fibers in fiber-cement manufacture

The present paper, contributing to solving two different problems related both to the chemical industry and the environment, is a feasibility study on the utilization of the deinking sludge (the most important waste from papermaking) as a raw material for fiber-cement manufacture, in which asbestos has been recently replaced by other fibers because of the hazard it induces. The results obtained show that the use of deinking sludge as a source of cellulose in fiber-cement manufacture is feasible and could improve product strength, if 5% of the virgin fibers are replaced by fibers and fines from the deinking sludge. It is also possible to replace up to 10% of the virgin fibers, with no loss in product strength. These results, if confirmed on a mill scale, would improve the economy of the process, as due to lower waste costs.