Reuse paint wastewater in the manufacture of cement bricks and tiles

Waste management is one of the most important and serious issues facing many developing countries. The main purpose of this research involves reusing wastewater generated by the paint industry in the manufacture of cement bricks and tiles, in addition to improving some mechanical properties of the cement bricks and tiles. Since large quantities of water are needed to produce bricks and tiles, this project focuses on using wastewater rather than supply clean water in the production of bricks and tiles. Different samples have been prepared and tested to evaluate the effect of using wastewater on the properties of the bricks and tiles formed. The bricks and tiles samples were tested for water absorption, ignitability, toxicity, and corrosivity. The concentrations of sulfide and cyanides in all samples were determined and compared to the prescribed limit identified by the U.S. EPA. The bricks samples were also tested for compressive strength, where the tiles samples were tested for bending strength and abrasion resistance. The tests results showed that there are no negative effects of using wastewater generated from the paint industry in the manufacture of the cement bricks and tiles, as well as it improves the mechanical properties of the bricks and tiles.