Energy Efficiency Improving of Construction Ceramics, Applying Polymer Waste

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the charge composition development on the basis of low-plasticity clay with the addition of 15 wt. % of the unplasticized polyvinyl chloride waste as a combustion additive to increase ceramics porosity and to reduce its density, thus decreasing the load on the foundation during the construction, and reducing thermal conductivity and consequently increasing material energy efficiency. This waste was chosen as its processing, using other methods, is very complicated due to low thermal stability of polyvinyl chloride. Boric acid is also introduced into the charge composition and it serves as a fusing agent, reducing the liquid-phase sintering temperature and forming a vitreous phase, which improves product strength characteristics, reduces water absorption and increases its frost resistance. However, the vitreous phase amount is negligible and the material retains its porosity, sufficient to produce relatively effective products in terms of their thermal performance. The resulting ceramics meets all other basic performance requirements for ordinary ceramic wall bricks. Consequently the developed charge composition allows producing rather high quality construction ceramics at a low production cost on the basis of low-demand primary raw materials and technogenic waste and use it to construct multilayer walls corresponding to modern thermal engineering standards applying rational consumption of construction materials. Herewith the properties of the developed ceramic material allow to some extent combining the functions of the base, thermal insulation and partly facing layers, thus expanding the spheres of using such products.