Eco-Friendly Fired Brick Produced from Industrial Ash and Natural Clay: A Study of Waste Reuse

Bottom ash (BA) is an industrial solid waste formed by the burning of coal. The environmental problems and storage costs caused by this waste increase with every passing day. In this study, the use of BA as an additive (clay substitute) in fired brick production was investigated. The study consisted of two stages. In the first stage, cylinder blocks were produced from clay used in brick production. The second stage was the examination of the experimental substitution of clay with 10, 20, 30 and 40% BA. Samples were fired at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1150 degrees C to produce fired brick samples. The unit weight, compressive strength (before and after freeze-thawing) and water absorption were analyzed for the samples. The unit weight values decreased in the samples containing BA. The mechanical properties met the conditions prescribed in the relevant standards; i.e., all of the samples fired at 1100 and 1150 degrees C had a sufficient compressive strength over 20 MPa. The high potential of fired bricks for the construction industry was proved. BA can be used as a clay substitute, while the developed protocol can be used to effectively produce fired bricks.

Automated summary

Bottom ash, a waste formed by burning coal, can be used as a substitute for clay in brick production. The samples showed decreased unit weight values and met the compressive strength standards, proving the potential of fired bricks in the construction industry.