Engineers and researchers at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) have developed a high-strength composite material using coal mine parting, fly ash and a chemical binder to produce a pavement material intended for heavy truck traffic in mining regions. The team, led by Prof K. Umamaheshwar Rao and including Dr Manoj Kumar Mishra and research scholar Dr Subhasrita Chodhury from the Department of Mining Engineering, has secured Patent No. 597749 under Application No. 202331070306. The innovation is presented as a solution to rapid road deterioration caused by repeated heavy loads.

India mines about one billion tonnes (one bn t) of raw coal each year, according to the Ministry of Coal, with nearly ninety-four per cent coming from surface mines that generate large volumes of waste. One abundant waste stream is coal mine parting, rock and other non-coal material separated during extraction. The researchers identified silica, alumina and clay minerals in this material and investigated how inherent compressive strength and stiffness could be harnessed in construction.

The team combined coal mine parting, fly ash and a binder to create a composite and carried out laboratory testing on multiple formulations to identify mixtures with required strength and performance characteristics. Results reported by the group indicate that selected formulations achieved enhanced stiffness and load-bearing capacity compared with conventional materials used in these environments. The work is described by the authors as an application of circular economy principles, converting two industrial wastes into a resource with engineering and economic potential.

With pilot-scale field trials planned, the researchers aim to assess long-term strength and durability on actual roads subjected to frequent heavy traffic. The technology is positioned to tackle waste management challenges while promoting more sustainable infrastructure development using locally available resources. If successful at scale, the material could reduce repair frequency and associated costs in coal-mining regions and provide a model for repurposing large industrial waste streams.