Porous ceramic bricks from clay and peach pits mixtures

Abstract

The objective of this work is to analyze the feasibility of using peach pits, biomass waste from the fruit and vegetable sector, as a pore former in the manufacture of lightweight ceramic pieces. Commercial clay mixtures were prepared with the aggregate of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% by volume of pits and a clay sample without aggregates for reference. All mixtures with an aggregate of 8% humidity were formed in molds of 70 mm x 40 mm, using a compaction pressure of 25 MPa. The heat treatment was 1000°C for 3 hours, at a heating rate of 1°C / min. The obtained results reflect a high feasibility of using this biomass for the studied use. The ceramic products have good general properties, although the mechanical properties are a limitation since they meet the market requirements up to 10% aggregates of residual material.