Industrial Ceramic Blocks for Buildings: Clay Characterization and Drying Experimental Study

A.M. Vasconcelos da Silva, J.M.P.Q. Delgado, A.S. Guimarães, W.M.P. Barbosa de Lima, R. Soares Gomez, R. Pereira de Farias, E. Santana de Lima and A.G. Barbosa de Lima
Additional contact information
A.M. Vasconcelos da Silva: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil
J.M.P.Q. Delgado: CONSTRUCT-LFC, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
A.S. Guimarães: CONSTRUCT-LFC, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
W.M.P. Barbosa de Lima: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil
R. Soares Gomez: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil
R. Pereira de Farias: Department of Agriculture Science, State University of Paraiba, Catolé do Rocha 58884-000, Brazil
E. Santana de Lima: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil
A.G. Barbosa de Lima: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: The conformation of a ceramic piece follows the steps of preparing the raw material, molding, lamination, drying, and firing. Drying is a thermodynamic process of heat and mass transfer, with dimensional variations of the product that requires a large amount of energy. Ceramic materials when exposed to non-uniform drying may suffer cracks and deformations, reducing their post-drying quality. Thus, this work aimed to study the drying of industrial ceramic blocks in an oven with forced air circulation. Experiments were carried out to characterize the clay and drying of the ceramic block at temperatures ranging from 50 °C to 100 °C. Results of the chemical, mineralogical, granulometric, differential thermal, and thermogravimetric analysis of the clay, and heating kinetics, mass loss, and dimensional variation of the industrial ceramic block are presented and analyzed in detail. It was found that the clay is basically composed of silica and alumina (≈ 80.96%), with an average particle diameter of 13.36 μm. The study proved that drying at high temperature and low relative humidity of the air generates high rates of mass loss, heating, and volumetric shrinkage in the ceramic product, and high thermo-hydraulic stresses, which cause the appearance and propagation of cracks, gaps, and cleavages, compromising the final quality of the product.

Keywords: ceramic blocks; clay; mass; heat; dimensional variation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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