Manufacturing of porous refractories from Iraqi Kaolin by adding expanded polystyrene waste

Abstract

Fabrication of porous clay refractory insulating specimens from Iraqi kaolin with different percentage of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste crumbs additions were investigated. After mixing and forming by hand molding, the specimens was dried and fired at 1300 oC. The structural, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the refractory insulating products were measured. Maximum addition of EPS (1.25 wt%) lead to reduce the linear shrinkage to less than 1.7% and increased apparent porosity up to 50 %. As well as, the density, Modulus of rupture and thermal conductivity were reduced to 1.39 g/cm3, 4.1 MPa and 0.21 W/m.K, respectively. The final outcome, addition of EPS showed good results in the formation of pores without distorting the dimensions of specimens and without any cracks. In addition, it is possible to use these thermal insulators at temperatures up to 1300 oC.

Kalsiyum Kaynağı Olarak Yumurta Kabuğu Atığı ve Genleştirilmiş Polistiren Granülleri Kullanılarak Gözenekli Anortit Seramik Üretimi

“…Alongside the existing methods, the use of poreforming agents that burn during firing is most common for IFBs production. In this method, sawdust, rice husk, fine coke, starch, wheat particles, expanded perlite and vermiculite or high-molecular synthetic compounds such as foam polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl are added as flammable materials to form a pore during firing [5,6,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Until now, many research studies have been carried out on anorthite-based ceramics.…”