What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aimed to explore the feasibility of using municipal sewage sludge in the production of ceramic floor tiles.

March 7, 2017Open Access

The use of sewage sludge in the production of ceramic floor tiles

SASh. K. AminNational Research Centre EHEman M. Abdel HamidDesert Research Center SES.A. El–SherbinyCairo University

Key Points

The study aimed to explore the feasibility of using municipal sewage sludge in the production of ceramic floor tiles.
Dried sewage sludge was added at 5% to 35% to a standard floor tile mix.
Tiles were molded and pressed at 30 MPa, then fired at temperatures of 1100 °C and 1150 °C for 15 minutes.
Properties such as water absorption, porosity, and mechanical strength were evaluated against ISO standards.
Tiles with up to 7% sewage sludge met ISO standards for water absorption < 10%.
Tiles with 10% sludge at 1150 °C and 5% sludge at 1100 °C also met standards for water absorption > 10%.
The use of sludge in tile production indicates significant economic and environmental benefits.

Abstract

Scientists proved that municipal sewage sludge contains many dangerous pathogens, toxic heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, drains, storm water runoff, hospitals, and industrial plants. Sewage sludge represents an extremely high ecological hazard to the environment. Due to the increasing amount of sludge generated from the wastewater treatments plants a strong demand for environmentally and effective safe reuse has arisen. One potential use of that waste is its incorporation in the production of ceramic tiles. The main aim of present work was to study the possibility of usage of this hazardous waste in floor ceramic tiles industry. A dried sludge waste was added in percentages from 5% up to 35% to a standard floor tile mix, molded, pressed uniaxially at 30 MPa and then fired at temperatures reaching 1150 °C for 15 min soaking time. The properties of both green and fired tiles were investigated as function of percent waste added. The vitrification parameters, which are linear firing shrinkage, water absorption, apparent porosity, and mechanical property, were determined and compared with ISO standards. Fired samples of the proposed mixtures were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was possible to obtain tiles that abided by ISO standards for maximum addition of 7% sludge fired at 1150 °C (for water absorption 10%), which are recommended for both their economic and environmental benefits. Keywords: Sewage sludge, Ceramic, Floor tiles, Standards

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