Reformulating Ceramic Body Composition to Improve Energy Efficiency in Brick Manufacture

Abstract The influence of inorganic minerals (colemanite and nepheline syenite) as additives for sustainable clay brick manufacture has been examined. Each additive was added at 4 wt% to 96 samples were fired 950 °C 1040 then compared with 100% clay. Multiple analytical techniques (X-ray fluorescence, dilatometry, boiling water absorption, volumetric shrinkage, mercury porosimetry) used analysis. Dilatometry shows that the influenced temperature which shrinkage began extent shrinkage. use colemanite reduced by 120 syenite it 20 °C. A linear in dilatometry 1% (from maximum expanded length) achieved 1000 clay, 875 additions 970 additions. However, 2 h containing had significantly lower higher absorption than samples, suggesting presence amounts open porosity caused decomposition on heating. Samples a but also marginally further optimisation these or similar could potentially provide energy saving opportunities reductions CO emissions manufacturers.