The increasing use of fluorescent lamps as part of an energy saving program in Brazil is also generating a huge number of discarded spent lamps. After its operational life a fluorescent lamp cannot be disposed as a common trash owing to the mercury contamination. Regular recycling methods separate the contaminated glass tubes and promote cleaning for further reuse. However, supposedly cleaner tubes may still contain mercury and other toxic elements residues. In the present work, glass wastes from decontaminated fluorescent lamps were incorporated into clayey ceramics not only as environmental solution for both the glass waste destination and clay mining degradation but also a technical benefit to the ceramic properties. The results indicated that, up to 30 wt% of glass waste incorporation, a significant improvement in the 1050°C fired ceramic flexural strength as well as a beneficial reduction in its capacity of water absorption were obtained. A prospective analysis indicated the clayey ceramic incorporation as a viable and technically advantageous alternative for recycling the huge amount of spent fluorescent lamps to be disposed in Brazil during this decade.
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