The effect of addition of sludge from water treatment plant on the physical and mechanical properties of a structural clay ceramic (red tile) was investigated. Raw sludge presented large and angular particles (average size of ~200 µm) with high iron content (73.0% Fe2O3, 12.6% SiO2, 8.6% Al2O3, 5.2% CaO), and predominantly amorphous structure. After heating at 1000 °C the sludge presented hematite and magnetite as predominant phases, and the particles remained with original shape. Raw sludge was added to an industrial clay in the fractions of 0 (control sample), 2, 5, and 10 mass%. Pressed bodies were sintered at 950, 1000, and 1050 °C in an electric furnace. The sludge addition caused the lowering of flexural strength of dried body because of the decreasing of linear shrinkage of drying. The maximum sintering temperature of samples, in order to avoid over-firing, was reduced to 1000 °C. Up to this temperature, sludge addition did not affect significantly the linear shrinkage of the ceramic, but tend to increase the water absorption and lower the flexural strength. The deleterious effects of sludge addition were associated to the formation of microcracks around the sludge particles. Sludge did not react very much with the clay matrix. Calcining or milling the sludge resulted in an increase of flexural strength, by the lowering of microcrack severity.
sludge from water treatment plant; waste; recycling; red tile; clay; flexural strength
