Life cycle assessment in the ceramic tile industry: a review

Vieira, Angela Waterkemper; Rosso, Laura Savi; Demarch, Aline; Pasini, Djeisa; Ruzza, Sergio Pereira; Arcaro, Sabrina; Ribeiro, M.J.; Angioletto, Elídio

doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.02.023

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Ceramic tile fabrication involves various mineral powders such as quartz and clay, and vitreous materials such as broken glass [1,2]. Some of these particulate matters pass into the water used during the technological process and must be properly filtered out at water treatment facilities [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Used Water Sediments from Ceramic Tile Fabrication

Avram,

Birle,

Tudoran

et al. 2024

Water

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Used water treatment is one of the most important aspects of environmental protection regarding industrial processes. Particulate matter dispersions affect water parameters; for example, increased pH values such as 10.21 are found for used floor tile water, and values of 10.84 are found for used wall tile water. However, pH decreases to about 9.42 after the sediment filtration process. This influences water turbidity, which is higher for used wall tile water due to its finer suspensions, and it is considerably decreased after the filtration process. Thus, the main aim of the present research is to investigate particulate matter dispersion into the water flows that are involved in ceramic tile technological processes before and after treatment at used water treatment facilities. X-ray diffraction (XRD) coupled with mineralogical optical microscopy (MOM) reveals that waters from wall tiles and floor tiles have similar mineral dispersions, containing mineral particles of quartz (5–50 μm), kaolinite (1–30 μm), and mullite (5–125 μm). Glass particles (having a dark appearance at MOM investigation) were also found in both samples in a size range of 20–55 μm. High-resolution SEM imaging coupled with the EDS elemental analysis confirms the XRD and MOM observations. Water samples collected after treatment at the treatment facility reveal a significant reduction in the particulate matter MOM, evidencing only small traces of quartz, kaolinite, and mullite in a size range of 1–15 μm, with most of the particles being attached to the filters, as confirmed by XRD. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) effectuated on this sample reveals the presence of kaolinite nanoparticles with a tabular–lamellar aspect and sizes ranging from 40 to 90 nm. The obtained results prove the efficacy of the filtering system regarding targeted particulate matters, ensuring water recirculation into the technological processes. The sludge resulting from the filtration process presents with a dense grainy structure of sediment particles containing quartz, mullite, and kaolinite, along with traces of iron hydroxide crystallized as goethite. Therefore, it cannot be reused in the technological flux, as the iron causes glaze staining; but the observed microstructure, along with the mineralogical composition, indicates that it could be used for other applications, such as ecological bricks or plasters, which will be further investigated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Used Water Sediments from Ceramic Tile Fabrication

Avram,

Birle,

Tudoran

et al. 2024

Water

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“…Therefore, it is important to quantify the impact of the process to assess whether the incorporation of nanoparticles has a positive effect in reducing the impact on the production of ceramic tiles. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of life cycle assessment (LCA) as a fundamental tool for addressing environmental impacts on industrial ceramic sector in order to identify opportunities for improving sustainability [ 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. According to recent studies in different countries, such as the one conducted by Boschi et al [ 2 ] in Italy that evaluated environmental impacts in Italian tile production, reductions in the environmental footprint across 90 factories were shown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Nanoparticle Additions on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Ceramic Tiles Production

Saavedra,

Osma

2024

Nanomaterials

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The ceramic tile industry, with significant energy and material demands in its manufacturing processes, has employed technological innovations in energy efficiency, advanced equipment and tile thickness reduction to address these challenges. This study aimed to assess the impact of Ag2O, CuFe2O4, Fe3O4, and SiO2 nanoparticles (0%, 1%, and 5% by weight) on the mechanical strength, water absorption, and apparent thermal conductivity of ceramic tiles, as well as their capacity to reduce energy and raw material consumption. This reduction translates into a decrease in environmental impacts, which have been evaluated through life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology applied to the manufacturing processes. Nanoparticles (Ag2O, CuFe2O4, Fe3O4, and SiO2) were initially screened on TF clay (0%, 1%, 5% w/w), and the most effective were applied to CR1 and CR2 clays (0%, 1%, 5% w/w). Findings indicated a 32% increase in temperature gradient and a 16% improvement in flexural strength with the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticle at 1% (w/w) in TF clay. Furthermore, there was a potential 48% reduction in energy consumption, and up to 16% decrease in tile weight or thickness without affecting the flexural strength property of the test tiles. LCA results demonstrated that the addition of Fe3O4 nanoparticle has potential reductions of up to 20% in environmental impacts. This study suggests that nanoparticle addition offers a viable alternative for reducing energy and material consumption in the ceramic tile industry. Future research should focus on assessing the economic impact of transitioning to a sustainable business model in the ceramic tile industry with nanoparticles addition.

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“…8 The industry's high CO 2 emissions are a concern, mainly since the European Commission published the "Roadmap for Moving to a Competitive Low-Carbon Economy in 2050" in 2011, intending to reduce CO 2 emissions by 83%-87% by the year 2050. 13,14 The ceramic tile industry is compelled to reduce emissions to maintain competitiveness amidst global climate legislation. As a result, sustainability in production has become a key research area.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On average, CO 2 emissions from natural combustion in porcelain tile manufacturing industries are estimated to be around 265 kg CO 2 /t fired tile 8 . The industry's high CO 2 emissions are a concern, mainly since the European Commission published the “Roadmap for Moving to a Competitive Low‐Carbon Economy in 2050” in 2011, intending to reduce CO 2 emissions by 83%–87% by the year 2050 13,14 . The ceramic tile industry is compelled to reduce emissions to maintain competitiveness amidst global climate legislation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing raw material composition to increase sustainability in porcelain tile production: A simulation‐based approach

Alves,

Skorych,

De Noni

et al. 2023

J Am Ceram Soc.

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Reducing the environmental impact of porcelain tile production while maintaining cost‐effectiveness is challenging. This work introduced a novel modeling approach for optimizing a standard composition range comprising kaolinite (15–38 wt.%), illite (0–20 wt.%), quartz (20–40 wt.%), and feldspar (20–45 wt.%) to establish a robust composition interval for porcelain stoneware tiles. The proposed study considers several factors, such as composition impact on the manufacturing sequence, production costs, and CO2 emission. A flowsheet simulation database was generated by coupling the Dyssol framework with MATLAB. This study investigated the influence of raw material composition within the process sequence, the total CO2 emissions, and production costs within the contexts of Spain and Brazil, two of the top five global producers. Granules with a higher proportion of talc and illite exhibit reduced moisture content after spray drying, and these combinations have lower green body porosity after compaction. The addition of talc allowed for decreased porosity content after compaction reduced firing temperature, and lowered costs and CO2 emissions despite the higher prices associated with talc. The proposed simulation methodology offers a powerful decision‐making tool for optimizing raw material composition to minimize cost and CO2 emissions in the porcelain tile production. This methodology represents an early stride toward integrating digital twin methodologies within the ceramic tile sector, facilitating improved process regulation, and promoting the adoption of digital technologies.

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Life cycle assessment in the ceramic tile industry: a review

Cited by 6 publications

References 83 publications

Investigation of Used Water Sediments from Ceramic Tile Fabrication

Investigation of Used Water Sediments from Ceramic Tile Fabrication

Impact of Nanoparticle Additions on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Ceramic Tiles Production

Optimizing raw material composition to increase sustainability in porcelain tile production: A simulation‐based approach

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