Close the loop in ceramic industry
This project focused on using various types and proportions of inorganic and organic wastes as substitutes for clay-type raw material.
Huge quantities of clays are needed each year to produce fired ceramic bricks worldwide, and therefore much research focuses on how alternative raw materials from various origins can be used in clay mixtures, at different combinations and proportions, for the fabrication of conventional sintered bricks.
Materials from alternative, recycled and secondary sources can be used to manufacture bricks; however, the benefits of this approach must be carefully balanced against potential implications on product durability, performance specifications, and other logistical and environmental considerations.
Extruded and pressed specimens were produced and the quality of the resulting ceramics were evaluated for their properties and the environmental impact.
The results are the project are set out in the paper.
This project evaluated the impact of using various types of waste as substitutes for clayey raw material. It sought to produce ceramic bricks that:
- are technically at least as good as the virgin materials for which they substitute;
- have the same or better physico-mechanical properties compared to the original;
- are environmentally acceptable, causing no danger to human health;
- have a lower environmental footprint (energy saving during the sintering process and lifecycle of the product).