Physical-ceramic characterization of clays used in the manufacture of mansory products for construction

Abstract

Nowadays, in Colombia, specifically in the north-eastern, in Santander region, the process of mixing the ceramic paste used to manufacture masonry products for construction (H- 10 bricks, tiles, roof tiles, etc.) is done manually. For this reason, approximately 70% of the companies do not possess the technological tools which facilitate the prediction of the behavior of the raw material (clay). The main objective of this research is to formulate mixtures at a laboratory-level in order to verify the physical properties of ceramic raw materials used by a company which was takenas a sample. The research development was carried out through the execution of tests and laboratory analysis, taking into account the formulation of mixtures with the help of Statgraphics Centurion XV software in order to obtain combinations of raw materials according to the requirements of the current standard techniques. The results demonstrate the importance of using statistical programs for the improvement of systems and processes, predicting the behavior of raw materials as well as conducting pilot tests, taking into account the laboratory analyses in the ceramic industry. Conclusions: The results show that the mixture combinations obtained have the necessary parameters to meet the current standards such as resistance and absorption, which will optimize the economic and physical resources of the company, as well as the quality of the final product.

Technological characterization of a clay used in the manufacture of masonry products for construction

“…In the brickyard Las Casitas; (i) P4M5 has a medium plasticity behavior, (ii) P4M6 has low plasticity, (iii) P5M7 is considered low plasticity, and (iv) P5M8 is low plasticity. These results are similar to those reported by García-León for a clay from the Norte de Santander region in Colombia [26] and another similar study [30]. The interpretation of the results for each of the samples is observed in Table V.…”

“…Furthermore, it was found that in the crystalline phases of clays P5M7 and P5M8, quartz existed in a large proportion as a common mineral in both. This mineral guarantees clay the character of being a degreasing material, which is related to the granulometry where these two have a higher Table 8 shows the results of the compressive strength of solid brick units with a value lower than 15 MPa, indicating that the samples should not be for structural use, only 5 units from the El Cielo brickyard and 4 from Las Casitas reach the limit to be classified as non-structural use [30], [31]. Therefore, the samples of the selected companies must be mixed with others of better quality to optimize economic resources and achieve a product that meets the requirements of current Colombian regulations.…”