PRE-LABORATORY ASSESSMENT OF THE REUSE-POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES IN CLAY-BASED PRODUCTS

摘要

The use of industrial wastes as additives in the brick and tile industries is becoming common practice. The heterogeneity of traditional clay-based materials accommodates a variety of waste products (e.g. paper and textile industries, petroleum refinery, urban waste), with little sacrifice of the final product properties and a much welcome relief on waste disposal concerns. The continued depletion of natural resources, however, throws a new light on the potential use of some industrial wastes and natural sub-products, like power-plant ashes, granite or marble cutting-rejects and the sludge generated in potable water filtration/cleaning operations, as alternative ceramic raw materials. This work shows how a pre-laboratory assessment of the waste-material, based on chemical composition and phase equilibrium, can provide an educated choice of added contents and firing temperatures. Such a study, aimed at replacing other raw materials, stands as a solid basis for the subsequent laboratory work. Some experimental results (XRD, SEM, porosity, firing shrinkage, mechanical properties) are presented.