Abstract
This research reports results of eco-compatible building material obtained without natural raw materials. A mixture of sludge from a ceramic wastewater treatment plant and glass cullet from the urban collection was used to obtain high sintered products suitable to be used as covering floor/wall tiles in buildings. The fired samples were tested by water absorption, linear shrinkage, apparent density, and mechanical and chemical properties. Satisfactory results were achieved from densification properties and SEM/XRD analyses showed a compact polycrystalline microstructure with albite and wollastonite embedded in the glassy phase, similar to other commercial glass-ceramics. Besides, the products were obtained with a reduction of 200 °C with respect to the firing temperatures of commercial ones. Additionally, the realized materials were undergone to leaching test following Italian regulation to evaluate the mobility of hazardous ions present into the sludge. The data obtained verified that after thermal treatment the heavy metals were immobilized into the ceramic matrix without further environmental impact for the product use. The results of the research confirm that this valorization of matter using only residues produces glass ceramics high sintered suitable to be used as tile with technological properties similar or higher than commercial ones.
Highlights
IntroductionThe circular economy is the answer to the linear economic model (take–make–dispose) which has created many problems of waste management
The circular economy is the answer to the linear economic model which has created many problems of waste management
This study suggests the feasibility to obtain eco-compatible building materials for covering floor or wall using a mixture of ceramic sludge and packaging glass cullet
Summary
The circular economy is the answer to the linear economic model (take–make–dispose) which has created many problems of waste management. The flows of materials are biological, able of being restored into the biosphere, and technical [1,2,3]. As Italy, whose are poor in raw materials, contribute negatively to increase the extraction of global resources. If a residue (in particular when coded as waste) can substitute a natural raw material and does not create negative environmental impacts, it can be perfectly placed within the economic circuit, becoming a good (the so-called end of waste, previously called secondary raw material) and increasing the safety of supply chain
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