Oil shale solid waste recycling in the development of new silica fillers for elastomeric composites

The production of Brazilian shale oil gives rise to 6600 ton/day of a solid waste of retorted shale, and larger amounts of dolomitic waste rock are generated during mining. Two vitreous materials were obtained through the melting of different proportions of these two wastes. By leaching these materials with hydrochloric acid at 90 degreesC, two different kinds of silicas (powder and gel, both amorphous) with specific surface areas reaching up to similar to 420 m(2)/g were generated. These silicas were further modified through an Ostwald-ripening type of treatment in ammonium hydroxide solution at 80 degreesC. The process eliminated almost completely the deleterious micropores. The obtained silicas were evaluated as reinforcing fillers for SBR-1502. The employment of one of the modified silicas gave rise to a composite with better mechanical properties than those displayed by the one with untreated silica. Scanning electronic microscopic observation disclosed the existence of great morphological differences between these silicas. Apparently, the aging treatment gave rise to the production of better anchoring sites for the elastomer molecules. NMR studies also showed the reduction of the silanol content of the treated silica. The fracture surface of the composite disclosed a good wetting of this silica by the elastomeric matrix. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.