Soil characterisation used in ceramic industries and an analysis of its feasibility in ecological bricks

Abílio José Procópio Queiroz,Crislene Rodrigues Da Silva Morais

doi:10.1590/s1678-86212021000400561

Abílio José Procópio Queiroz, Crislene Rodrigues Da Silva Morais

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-86212021000400561

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Abstract

Abstract In this study, we aimed to characterise soils of three sedimentary deposits used as raw material sources for ceramic industries located in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The samples were collected in deposits located in the cities of Barra de São Miguel, Juazeirinho and Santa Cecília. They were named, prepared and submitted to tests to determine the mineralogical, chemical, physical and thermal characteristics using the XRD, EDX, Casagrande, granulometric analysis, TG and DTA. The soils presented compositions containing quartz, alumina and hematite, predominantly with about 90% of the total, with well-defined peaks in the diffractograms confirming the statement, and averages of plasticity and granulometric distribution that fit them as silt-clay. When heated to 1000 °C, fire losses were 17%, 16% and 29% for samples from Barra de São Miguel, Juazeirinho and Santa Cecília, respectively, which is due to the dehydration and burning of organic matter. Thus, they have met the requirements of the Brazilian standards that deal to produce sealing (with sintering) and soil-cement bricks (by pressing). The studied deposits offer satisfactory raw material for the ceramics industry and can provide soil for soil-cement brick (ecological bricks) production.

Highlights

Soils are defined as a material layer of variable consistency found above the lithosphere and below the atmosphere containing minerals, organic matter, water, water solutions with other components and air representing, respectively, the solid, liquid and gaseous phases, resulting from physical, chemical and biological processes that decompose the matrix rocks, with variations according to the environmental conditions of each region (KUČERÍK; ČTVRTNÍČKOVÁ;; SIWERT, 2013; MILLIOLI et al, 2009; AÑÓN et al, 2007; REGUEIRA et al, 2006)
Each area of science studies and works the soil in a particular way: biology sees the soil by the conditions that allow the diversity of life, chemistry as a set of organic and inorganic components, engineering on the conditions of resistance and characteristics that allow the extraction for creating construction pieces or utensils of the most diverse uses, agronomy use for cultivation or pastures, among others, having areas that, from knowledge about soil characteristics defined by others, for example medicinal uses of components of the soil characterized by chemistry (HARTEMINK, 2016)
It can be observed that the compositions of the tested soils have the predominance of silica (SiO2 or silicon dioxide), alumina (Al2O3 or aluminum oxide) and hematite (Fe2O3 or iron oxide) in common, which totalize in percentages approximately 89.5%, 89% and 86%, respectively, for samples SBSM, SJUA and SSCE, which are considered as characteristic soils of raw material sources of the red ceramic industry

Summary

Introduction

Soils are defined as a material layer of variable consistency found above the lithosphere and below the atmosphere containing minerals, organic matter, water, water solutions with other components and air representing, respectively, the solid, liquid and gaseous phases, resulting from physical, chemical and biological processes that decompose the matrix rocks, with variations according to the environmental conditions of each region (KUČERÍK; ČTVRTNÍČKOVÁ;; SIWERT, 2013; MILLIOLI et al, 2009; AÑÓN et al, 2007; REGUEIRA et al, 2006). Lessovaia et al (2016) researched the development of soil in rocks defined as “basic” and “ultrabasic” based on their porosity and mineralogy and showing as a final result that a soil originates more clay minerals with the accumulation of silicate and with less porosity

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