Efficient Recovery of Solid Waste Units as Substitutes for Raw Materials in Clay Bricks

Abstract

The advent of new materials and technologies in building materials has changed the way of building. New lighter materials with easier application methods and improved mechanical behaviors, have become necessary for the market. Moreover, the new environmental policy (2022) aims to transform the waste management into sustainable materials management to ensure the long-term protection and improvement of the environment. For the brick and tile industry, raw materials and the additives that compose the product mixture seem to be a key factor in this direction. Furthermore, every product type (solid or perforated brick) requires different additives to achieve the properties that are postulated by the international standards. For the study, the wide range of additives that were used have been assorted into three (3) categories: the inert materials, the lightweight materials, and the industrial remains. Totally, eight (8) different materials were used as additives into ceramic mass, in different proportions each time. Almost all additives used for this research were pore-forming agents. These burn out almost completely before reaching the full-fire temperature, and do not change the fired body. As a result of additives burnt out, the necessary pore volume is formed in the fired brick body, which, if combined with an appropriate percentage of voids, result in raw density readings. The pore structure is significant as long as the ultimate strength of lightweight bricks is acceptable. In this study, additives between 3 and 25% by weight were added to the clay mixture. The extrusion of specimens in solid form was carried out using the Laboratory’s vacuum press. Firstly, the extrusion of specimens from the original raw material was implemented. Secondly, it was made on the material mixed with the additives mentioned above. A series of experimental activities were followed to determine the variations of the mechanical and physical properties as well as their production procedures (extrusion, drying, and firing). According to five (5) key properties measured in the current study and compared with the mixture without additives, it was found that the variation in thermal conductivity improvement is between -11% and 19%. The bending strength of the fired products showed a decrease from 16% to 55% except for the addition of bauxite residue, which increased the strength by 8%. Bigot drying sensitivity decreased from 11% to 27%. The density in two cases increased from 2% to 7% while in the majority the mixtures with the additives showed a decrease in density from 1% to 14%. Finally, the addition of the necessary water for shaping during extrusion showed a variation from a 10% decreased to a 14% increased water.

Assessing the Effects of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Incorporation on the Extrusion and Drying Behavior of Brick Mixtures

“…Metals, inherently abrasive in nature, can lead to heightened abrasion on equipment surfaces, potentially causing damage that necessitates frequent maintenance and, consequently, operational downtime. Beyond the mechanical implications, the influence of metals on porosity and mechanical strength, as previously discussed in the RDF context, assumes added complexity [36]. Metal particles within the mixture have the potential to introduce additional pores and disrupt the microstructure, thereby intricately affecting the overall behavior of the brick during the drying phase.…”

Optimizing Building Thermal Insulation: The Impact of Brick Geometry and Thermal Coefficient on Energy Efficiency and Comfort

“…Overall, while paper sludge is still considered an industrial waste, the use of this material can provide significant results on a brick mass. The addition of 8% paper sludge in a ceramic mass led to a decreased index of body density by 13.4%, and as a result of this fact, the thermal insulation coefficient was reduced by 17.3% [18].…”

Optimizing Building Thermal Insulation: The Impact of Brick Geometry and Thermal Coefficient on Energy Efficiency and Comfort

“…Overall, while paper sludge is still considered an industrial waste the use of this material can provide significant results on a brick mass. The addition of 8% paper sludge in a ceramic mass led to a decreased index of body density by 13.4% and as a result of this fact, the thermal insulation coefficient was reduced by 17.3% [14].…”