Utilization of Waste Basalt Crushing to Create a Peculiar Bali’s Ornament

Abstract

This research explores the sustainable utilization of basalt powder waste from Bali’s ornamental stone industry as an alternative aggregate in mortar production. Through comprehensive material characterization by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy methods (XRF, XRD, and FE-SEM EDS, respectively), we identified that basalt waste contains 81.29% pozzolanic material with anorthite as the dominant phase, indicating excellent potential for construction applications. The study evaluated mortar formulations with varying compositions (75–91% basalt, 9–20% cement, 5% gypsum). The optimal mix of 75% basalt, 20% cement, and 5% gypsum demonstrated superior mechanical properties, reaching a compressive strength of 6.94 MPa compared to 1.31 MPa for raw basalt while maintaining comparable density and water absorption characteristics. Practical application tests confirmed that ornaments produced with this eco-friendly mortar maintained identical visual quality to conventional products. The findings present a viable circular economy solution that simultaneously addresses industrial waste management and supports the preservation of Bali’s traditional craftsmanship. This approach reduces environmental impacts by reusing industrial byproducts and provides economic benefits through value-added material recovery. The incorporation of basalt waste into high-quality building materials demonstrates significant potential for sustainable development in regional craft industries.