Characterization of Three Amu-Darya Basin Clays in Ceramic Brick Industry and Their Applications with Brick Waste

Abstract

This study examined the chemical, mineralogical, physical, thermal, and technological characteristics of the Dostluk (DM), Halach (HM), and Sakar (HM) clay deposits located in the Amu-Darya basin of Turkmenistan. The potential suitability of these deposits was evaluated for the local ceramic brick industry. The chemical and mineralogical features were identified by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), ion chromatography (IC), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The physical properties were characterized by granulometric analysis by sieving, particle size distribution, scanning electron microscopy/optic analysis, specific surface area, Pfefferkon’s plasticity index, reabsorption, shrinkage, water absorption, mechanical (compression and bending), and freeze–thaw durability tests. The thermal methods were performed using dilatometry and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyzer (TG/DTA). The test samples for the different clay deposits were extruded, dried, and fired at three different temperatures of 850 °C, 950 °C, and 1050 °C. While the Dostluk and Sakar clays have high plasticity, Halach clay has been found to have low plasticity. The mechanical and freeze–thaw durability tests demonstrated that the outcomes of the clays of different origins were sufficient, achieving compressive strengths of over 10 MPa and mass loss less than 3%, which are acceptable by industry standards. Semi-industrial processed hollow bricks demonstrated promising characteristics. While the Dostluk and Sakar clay-based brick specimens were visibly free of cracks, the Halach specimens showed some cracks. The physical and mechanical improvements of these clays were performed with three mixtures, which are M1 (80 mass% DM + 20 mass% brick waste), M2 (85 mass% SM + 15 mass% brick waste), and M3 (70 mass% HM + 25 mass% SM and 5 mass% brick waste) for the brick industry.

Properties and technical characteristics of Casira pottery, Jujuy, Argentina

“…Then, the drying of the clay pastes is also distinctive; on one hand, the characteristics of the raw materials and the shaping route make the water proportion low; on the other hand, the climatic and geographical conditions of the region result in low-pressure and low or almost no humidity [49][50][51][52]. Consequently, the workshops use to dry the pieces in the open air without much protection from the drying rate.…”

Manufacturing of Fired Clay Bricks for Internal Walls with Dolomite Residue as a Secondary Material

“…Fired brick samples were subjected to SEM and XRD analyses to examine their microscopic structure and elemental content. The loss on ignition (LOI) test was conducted following our earlier study [4]. According to Kazanskaya et al [23], the standard [24] for "Construction materials and products" was utilized to measure the thermal conductivity of concrete using 2021 MIT-1 equipment.…”

“…Clay, which is the main raw material of the brick, was extracted from Dostluk de its (latitude 37°48′-38°49′ N and longitude 65°24′-65°20′ E) of the Amu-Darya basin cated 21 km southeast of the town of Kerkichi, Turkmenistan [4]. Another raw mater dolomite residue, which was industrial waste from the Turkmen glass and mirror fac The factory uses crushed dolomite with sizes between 1 mm and 2.2 mm for glass…”

“…Thus, the utilization of brick waste has gained popularity due to the increase in demand in brick manufacturing and the depletion of clay resources as well as the aim to reduce waste disposal into environment. Many waste materials have been studied and some of them are brick waste [4], waste sawdust, cigarette butts [5], waste pomace [6], marble powder [7], biomass incineration [8], raw sand residue [9], bio-briquette ash [10], sugarcane ash [11], and sludge and mirror factory residue [3].…”

“…waste [4], waste sawdust, cigarette butts [5], waste pomace [6], marble powder [7], mass incineration [8], raw sand residue [9], bio-briquette ash [10], sugarcane ash [11] sludge and mirror factory residue [3].…”