Brick Production Research Articles

Utilization of Plastic Waste for Developing Composite Bricks and Enhancing Mechanical Properties: A Review on Challenges and Opportunities

The population increases demand for plastic in every sector along with single-use plastic rapidly increasing, but it still has a low recycling rate. The use of plastic in the form of brick is challenging and overall has a better impact on the ecosystem, economy, and industrial revolution. In this paper, a study has been done of the available research work on plastic bricks from different plastic waste materials. It discusses the processes used to make bricks from plastic waste materials, the possibility of contamination from the waste materials utilized, the lack of pertinent standards, and the public adoption of waste materials-based bricks. Furthermore, it focused on research and development required for the widespread production and use of bricks made from waste materials, not only in terms of technical, economic, and environmental considerations but also in terms of standardization, governmental policy, and public awareness of waste recycling and sustainable development. It has been observed from the study that PET has mostly recycled plastic with greater efficiency compared to other plastics. However, worldwide global production is followed by PE, PVC, and PP. PET has only 5% contribution to the global recycling of plastics.

Optimal emission reductions pathway for polybrominated diphenyl ethers in typical household e-waste dismantling products

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) and waste epoxy resin powder (WERP) generated after crushing are the most crucial hazardous materials in the recycling process of household e-waste. In this study, a sustainable treatment approach was established in response to the drawbacks of traditional treatment methods. The baseline and hypothetical scenarios were as follows: (1) scenario 1 (S1): WPCBs mechanical treatment, WERP safe landfill; (2) scenario 2 (S2): WPCBs mechanical treatment, WERP imitation stone bricks production. Based on the material flow analysis and comprehensive evaluation, the most profitable and environmentally friendly scenario was selected and assumed to be promoted in Jiangsu area and China from 2013 to 2029. The analysis result showed that S2 had the best economic performance and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) emission reductions potential. S2 is the best option that can gradually replace the traditional recycling model. With the promotion of S2, China would reduce the emissions of PBDEs by 700.8 kg. Meanwhile, it could save $542.2 million in WERP landfill costs, produce 1260.2 kt of imitation stone bricks, and generate $2308.5 million in economic benefits. In conclusion, this study can offer a new idea for dismantling products treatment of household e-waste and provide scientific knowledge to improve the sustainable management.

Inovasi Teknologi Pemanas Kumparan sebagai Solusi Berkelanjutan dalam Proses Pembakaran Bata untuk Mengatasi Dampak Lingkungan Negatif

This research aims to design and develop coil heater technology as an alternative heat source to replace wood in the brick-firing process. The research methodology involves the design of an efficient and environmentally friendly coil heater and its implementation in the brick production process. In this study, the performance of the coil heater is analyzed to ensure that the generated heat is sufficient for the brick-firing requirements. The research findings indicate that coil heater technology is capable of providing the necessary heat to achieve optimal temperatures in the brick-firing process. Furthermore, the use of this coil heater technology successfully reduces dependence on wood as the primary fuel source. The implementation of coil heater technology in the brick-making industry is expected to make a positive contribution to the environment and the sustainability of natural resources. This research stimulates innovation in the development of alternative technologies that can reduce carbon footprints and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of brick production processes.

Experimental Study on Effect of Partial Replacement of Waste Aggregate by Over Burnt Brick in Concrete

The most popular building material in the world, according to experts, is concrete. Water, sand, cement, and a rock aggregate are the main components of standard concrete compositions. The coarse aggregate in concrete is the main topic of this project.The other substance will be utilized in place of the normal concrete's coarse rock aggregate. Burn brick will be a part of this. They were picked because they were readily available. The brick production location has burn brick available. Numerous bricks are also rejected throughout the brick-making process because they do not meet the necessary requirements. The warped shape of brick created as a result of the kiln's uneven temperature regulation is one such significant non conformity. Additionally, these rejected bricks may be a source of coarse material. Key Word: over burnt brick in concrete, work ability, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength.

To the question of structure optimization for producing high-strength ceramics

The article outlines the principles that ensure the production of high-strength ceramic bricks. The change in the phase composition of clay raw materials during firing is analyzed. The role of the calculation method for determining the amount and composition of the melt formed during firing is determined. The value of the glass phase in the strengthening of the ceramic shard has been determined. Taking into account the properties of neoplasms, various types of structures were analyzed. The optimal structures for increasing the strength of fired ceramics are determined. The main factors that increase the strength of ceramic bricks and methods for their implementation were established. The factors that increase the strength of ceramic bricks are determined. Implementation methods are recommended.

Low-carbon footprint approach to produce recycled compacted concrete

Achieving a closed-loop recycling process with low CO2 emissions remains a challenge for the concrete industry. To improve the recycling of concrete debris, a powder compaction process for concrete waste was designed to obtain recycled compacted concrete (hereinafter referred to as compact) and thermal treatment was proposed to be utilized to improve its strength. However, non-specific investigations of treatment parameters, like-treatment temperature, and duration, do still exist, and the required high production pressure (100 MPa) is impracticable. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two novel treatments on compact in improving its strength and reducing its carbon footprint. First, the heat treatment process used in a previous study [1] was expanded by varying immersion durations and treatment temperatures. Second, autoclaving was employed to obtain a stronger compact with different treatment settings. Additionally, in both treatment processes, the efficacy of low production pressure (<100 MPa) was evaluated. For this, eighteen different concrete wastes, having different industrial wastes, like-fly ash, slag, were collected, crushed, and powdered to produce compacts. The treated compacts were characterized based on both compressive strength and carbon footprint to compare the environmental performance of a compact prepared via thermal treatments in the production phase. The test results revealed that increasing water immersion duration (to 48 h) during the heat treatment process improved the compact strength to up to 48 MPa, and autoclaving at higher temperatures (at 220 °C) resulted in a compact strength of up to 98 MPa. Additionally, a strength of 30 MPa was attained even at a low production pressure (10 MPa) after autoclaving. The estimated CO2 emissions of the compact production process developed in this study were as low as 70.6 kg/m3 of compact. At the present stage of the study, it can be deduced that the compact manufactured possesses potential for implementation in various non-structural applications, including the production of pavement blocks and bricks, with lower CO2 emissions.

Drava river sediment in clay brick production: Characterization, properties, and environmental performance

The ever-growing worldwide demand for fired clay brick has resulted in the shortage of clay in many parts of the world. Therefore, there is a need to look for more sustainable alternative materials for the brick manufacturing. This study has investigated the potential use of the untreated Drava River sediment as a substitute material for clay in the production of fired bricks, with the research being conducted at both laboratory and industrial level. At the laboratory level, brick specimens were prepared by mixing clay with different river sediment proportions (ranging from 10 to 50 wt%) and were fired at 950 °C, with microstructural and various physical–mechanical properties being analyzed. Elevated carbonate content in Drava river sediment results in higher weight loss during firing at temperatures up to 950 °C, comparing to firing pure brick-making clay. Consequently, the addition of sediment increases porosity of fired bricks, which results in lowering of their mechanical properties. Results reveal that the compressive strength of the pure clay sample was 79.5 MPa, while the compressive strength of the sample with the addition of river sediment from 10 wt% to 50 wt% decreased from 73.9 MPa to 26.2 MPa, respectively. Despite the lower compressive strength, the 26.2 MPa is still above the limit value of 10 MPa specified in the standard EN 772–1 [1]. At the industrial level, hollow clay bricks were prepared with 20 wt% of the river sediment and fired in a tunnel kiln. Inclusion of the river sediment also decreased compressive strength from 38 MPa for pure mixture to 26 MPa for 20 wt% of the sediment addition, confirming usability of Drava sediment in brick production. In addition, LCA study has been conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the industrial production of classic bricks and bricks with the addition of the river sediment. The obtained results have shown that the bricks made with the addition of the Drava River sediment are sustainable and environmentally friendly and meet all the requirements specified in the relevant regulatory standard.

Promising Recycling of Aspiration Dust and Interstitial Clay in the Production of Earthquake-Resistant Bricks

It is noted that inter-shale clay is an substandard raw material, since it is almost impossible to obtain earthquake-resistant bricks on its basis without the use of high-quality cleaners. A method for obtaining a seismic-resistant brick M125-M150 was obtained on the basis of substandard interstitial clay with the use of ferrous metallurgy waste — aspiration dust used as a thinner, which participates in the formation of the structure and is a frame, thanks to which the product is not deformed during the firing process.

New Technique and Manufactured Device for Determining the Efflorescence of Clay Brick Masonry

Abstract Bricks are one of the most important building materials used in the field of civil engineering. Efflorescence is one of the most important problems facing clay bricks because of the environmental impact. This problem affects the brick quality and is consequently not easy to handle. In Iraq, this phenomenon presents a real challenge for the industry because it is widespread in most brick production factories. In this research, we first used a new technique to evaluate efflorescence in a short time span, unlike the traditional method, which takes about 7 to 10 days to evaluate efflorescence levels. This method depends on the electrical conductivity of clay brick materials. Secondly, an electrical device was implemented for measuring efflorescence levels based on the proposed technique in this research. This technique provides sufficient data in a very short time (about 3 h) to assess efflorescence levels based on the electrical conductivity measurements. This proposed technique gives the same results as the traditional testing method but would be preferred because it reduces the testing time to a very short period and gives more details about efflorescence levels in bricks.

Numerical simulation and optimization of construction: Product prototyping of new raw earth-based energy-saving hollow bricks

With the promotion of the urbanization construction process, the treatment of engineering waste soil is still mainly landfilled resource utilization, which leads to a large amount of land being occupied and pollutes water, atmosphere, and soil. Therefore, it is urgent to find technical ways of resource utilization of engineering waste soil, increasing the utilization rate of engineering waste soil. In this paper, based on the experimental parameters of waste soil material modification carried out in the early stage, we adopted numerical simulation to optimize the proposed nine new types of raw soil-based (RSB) energy-saving hollow brick structural concept design schemes in terms of mechanical and heat transfer properties and carried out single brick trial production and relevant physical property index test for the preferred schemes. The numerical simulation results show that the uniaxial compressive strength, strength-to-weight ratio, Mise maximum stress distribution, damage characteristics, and steady-state heat conduction of the new RSB energy-saving hollow bricks with different structural designs are not only related to the mechanical and thermal properties of their substrates but also related to the wall thickness, rib thickness, hole rate and hole arrangement of the bricks. After preferential selection by numerical simulation method, the average apparent density of the new RSB energy-saving hollow bricks made in the trial was 1192.4 kg/m3, the average compressive strength was 5.94 MPa, and the durability index values of carbonation coefficient and softening coefficient were 0.87 and 0.86, respectively, and all the above indexes met the technical index requirements of national specifications for non-load-bearing wall materials. The heat transfer coefficient of a single brick width wall of this brick type using only blind hole area paving slurry masonry is 1.473 W/(m2∙K), which can meet 50% energy saving requirement in hot summer and cold winter areas. The research results have strong theoretical significance and practical value for promoting the research on the resource utilization technology of engineering waste soil in new energy-saving wall materials.

Using mordenite-rich tuff as a natural clay replacement in fired clay brick production

Using mordenite-rich tuff as a natural clay replacement in fired clay brick production

Sand Cement Brick Incorporating Palm Oil Clinker as Partial Replacement for Fine Aggregate

Palm oil industry produces a significant quantity of waste such as palm oil clinker (POC) that can be utilized as fine or coarse aggregates. The POC will cause environmental issues due to improper landfilling at the palm oil mills. The primary goal of this study is to utilise the POC in building materials such as brick. Therefore, with the utilization of POC sand in brick production would assist to minimize the environmental issues around the palm oil mills. Four brick compositions were created using several percentages of POC sand ranging from 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% by volume of sand. All specimens were undergoing water curing process for 7 days and 28 days. The specimens were subjected to compressive strength test, flexural strength test and water absorption test. The utilization of 50% POC sand improves the compressive strength and flexural strength of the brick. The utilization of POC sand in brick leads to the creation of sustainable materials and the preservation of natural sand.

Nanocomposites as Substituent of Cement: Structure and Mechanical Properties

To date, the scientific research in the field of recycling of construction and demolition wastes was focused on the production of concrete, cements, and bricks. The attainment of these products was limited to the addition of suitable binder contents, such as lime or cement, compaction, and possibly heat treatment, without a concrete recycling method. In this paper, new cement materials consisting of 2.5 weight% composite and originating from construction and demolition waste powder, were prepared and investigated in view of applications in the construction industry as a substituent of cement. The materials with recycled powder from construction and demolition wastes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The XRD data indicate vitroceramic structures with varied crystalline phases. The NMR relaxometry data show four reservoirs of water associated with bounded water and with three types of pores in the composite construction material. The micro-Vickers hardness was measured to reflect the influence of composite nature in the local mechanical properties of the composite-cement for the mixture with Portland cement and (EC) expired cement.

Environmental Sustainability of Bricks in an Emerging Economy: Current Environmental Hotspots and Mitigation Potentials for the Future

Clay-fired bricks are widely used in emerging economies mainly because of the unavailability of higher-grade construction and building materials; however, they are associated with significant social and environmental damage. The environmental burdens associated with the fuels and materials required for brick production are huge, as they have both direct and indirect effects along supply chains. This study aimed to assess the environmental footprints of brick production along supply chains, focusing on relevant environmental issues in brick production: carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and land use. We demonstrate that fuelwood consumption constitutes a major share of the carbon and water footprints, whereas built-up land for brick drying dominates the major effect of land use. Our expansion of the ecological footprint method enables a comparison of the effects of three different environmental issues with the same land area dimension, which reveals the relative severity of carbon dioxide emissions that account for up to 20% of the national CO2 inventory. For the potential reduction in the environmental footprint of brick production, scenario analysis showed a substantial reduction by replacing clay-fired bricks with concrete bricks. The shift to alternative materials, together with mitigation measures for brick production, can effectively alleviate the environmental pressures of construction materials in future emerging economies.

THE EFFECT OF MODIFYING ADDITIVES ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE CERAMIC COMPOSITION

The results of studies of the effect of modifying additives on the properties of ceramic masses are presented. It is shown that the complex activation of the ceramic mass by plasticizing additives in the form of bentonite and surfactants and using rice straw leads to a decrease in molding humidity and an improvement in the physical and mechanical properties of ceramics while reducing the firing temperature by 50-100 °C. The optimal composition of a ceramic composition containing low-plastic loam, bentonite, rice straw and surfactants for the production of ceramic bricks by plastic molding has been determined.

Rheological and physico-mechanical investigations on the destabilization of unfired clay bricks with almond husk additive by salt

In the aim of enhancing unfired clay bricks’ strength, waste materials incorporation gains huge interest among researchers. In this context, various methodologies are extensively used. However, the salt concentration’s effect is poorly known. In this paper, we study, through rheological and physicomechanical investigations the influence of different salt concentrations on unfired clay bricks incorporating 0%, 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% almond husk powder by weight. We report comprehensive measurements, under dynamic conditions, of the viscoelastic behavior of aqueous solutions at high colloidal clay minerals concentrations, allowing us to derive the storage modulus which expresses the elasticity potential of the material. The same materials are used to manufacture corresponding bricks. Their strengths and water absorptions are determined and reported. In all studied suspensions, the oscillatory test showed a plateau-like with solid-like characteristic. It was indicated that the storage modulus highly depends on the amount of the additive in the clay. It increases with the incorporation of almond husk powder, and it decreases with higher salt concentration. This is explained by interparticle phenomena involving cation exchange, and hydrophilic and hydrophobic effects. Compared to old works that used the raw soil without any kind of treatment, the utilization of washed clay enabled the production of stronger bricks by up to 10,85 %. The gain, when using washed clay and incorporating 2 wt% almond husk, reached 18.88% compared to the brick with pure raw clay. The corresponding brick recorded 23.17 MPa in strength which conformed to ASTM C62 – severe weathering grade. A decrease in strength with the incorporation of almond husk is reported due to the constitution of flocculating particles that generated a porous network. To improve unfired clay bricks’ strength quality, this research comes with the recommendation of washing the soil used in unfired bricks down to reach a specific value of conductivity which can be determined facilely by rheological measurements (13 µS/cm in the case of this article)..

A Study on the Sintering Mechanism of High-Strength Light Bricks Manufactured from Coal Gasification Slag

In this article, we report a way to produce sintered bricks from industrial coal gasification slag. Subsequently, we studied the impact of the addition of coal gasification slag and heat treatment on the density and compression strength of sintered materials with controlled variables. In addition, we implemented thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), an X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), as well as optical and thermal measurement devices, to analyze the microscopic structures of sintered materials; this revealed the action mechanism of coal gasification slag on the microscopic morphology and performance of sintered bricks. The volumetric density and compression strength of the sintered bricks were found to be negatively correlated with the amount of coal gasification slag introduced, but positively correlated with the sintering temperature. When the firing temperature was 1150 °C and the addition amount of coal gasification slag was 45%, the sintered brick products, with a predominant crystalline phase of anorthites, could achieve a density of 1.5 g/cm3 and a compression strength of 30 MPa; this met the requirements of the China National Standard GB/T 5101-2017 for MU30 bricks. This report may help with the implementation of coal gasification slag.

An alkali activated geopolymer concrete brick incorporated with devri stone quarry dust

Geopolymer is a concrete alternative which incorporates waste residues like fly ash. The properties that are required for application in construction are possessed by GPC that are fly ash based and it has been proved by recent studies. To meet growing demand for cement required to create infrastructural facilities, one tonne of carbon dioxide is produced during cement manufacture, which has a negative aftermath on nature. The aim of study is investigation of impact of devri stone quarry dust in geopolymer brick, also focus on characteristics strength of geo-polymer material. In this experimental approach, 25% ground granulated blast furnance slag and 75% fly ash were taken into consideration. This investigation focuses on the substitution of devri stone quarry dust for natural river sand in the production of geopolymer brick. Here 10% of quarry dust and 90% natural sand was used to produce materials with excellent compressive strength and hardness and a geopolymer mix was blended with 30% NaOH and 70% Na2Sio3, so as to achieve good compressive strength.

Effect of the incorporation of Neem (Azadirachta indica) wood ash in Kodeck ceramic materials for the manufacture of fired bricks (Far-North Cameroon)

The current study evaluates the suitability of Neem (Azadirachta Indica) wood ash as raw material in the production of ceramic bricks for their application in construction. Accordingly, for the fabrication of bricks, compositions were prepared by adding increasing amounts of Neem wood ash (0%, 5%, and 10% in wt.). The specimens were manufactured by mixing clay with a Neem wood ash amendment and subsequently compacted and fired at 850 °C, 950 °C, and 1050 °C. The fired samples were characterized to determine their technological properties. The results indicate that brick formulations containing Neem wood ash decreased the bulk density up to 8%. Water absorption increased up to 10% and porosity also increased up to 20% with wood of ash. These values meet the Turkish TS EN standards for masonry structures. Due to the interesting performances observed, the potential used up to 10 wt% of Neem Wood ash in ceramic formulations of industrial interest was confirmed. Therefore, incorporating ash into a clay material reduces environmental problems and the total cost of raw material disposition. This is very important in the Sahelian zone and it provides a great opportunity for the inhabitants of this zone.

Application of plastic wastes as construction material for sustainable development: A review

The development of a sustainable ecosystem in the present period is seriously threatened by the effective disposal of plastic waste. This work aims to reduce the burning issue that leads to environmental pollution by reusing plastic waste bags as building materials for sustainable development. In this review study, a modified plastic mixer is created by combining shredded plastic waste bags with hot aggregates, and sand. Comprehensive research has been done on the use of plastic waste as a binder, aggregate, fine aggregate, modifier, or replacement for cement and sand in the production of bricks, tiles, concrete, and roadways. Additionally, the review of impact of plastic waste addition on tensile characteristics, water absorption, durability, etc. has been extensively examined.