Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Applied Clay Science

j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / c l a y

Research Paper

The use of different forms of waste in the manufacture of ceramic bricks

D. Eliche-Quesada ⁎, C. Martínez-García, M.L. Martínez-Cartas, M.T. Cotes-Palomino, L. Pérez-Villarejo,
N. Cruz-Pérez, F.A. Corpas-Iglesias
Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, Higher Polytechnic School of Linares, University of Jaén, 23700 Linares (Jaén), Spain

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this study, various industrial wastes such as urban sewage sludge, bagasse, and sludge from the brewing
Received 29 October 2010 industry, olive mill wastewater, and coffee ground residue were blended with clay to produce bricks. The clay
Received in revised form 24 February 2011 and waste were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and thermogravimetric, differential
Accepted 3 March 2011
thermal, and chemical elemental analysis. The bricks were manufactured from clay and the optimal
Available online 11 March 2011
proportion of waste. The influence of the waste addition on the linear shrinkage, bulk density, water
Keywords:
absorption, and mechanical and thermal properties was investigated. Water absorption increased to above
Waste 35% when urban sewage sludge, brewing industry sludge and bagasse were incorporated into the body, but
Recycling the compressive strength decreased by a maximum of 19% and the thermal insulation increased by at least 8%.
Ceramics The incorporation of coffee grounds and olive mill wastewater of clay was more beneficial, with compressive
Thermal conductivity strength values similar to bricks without waste and a 19% improvement in thermal conductivity. Water
absorption and the SEM micrographs indicated that the changes in the results were due to the type of porosity
formed by the quantity and the type of waste.
© 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction reduce volume, transformation into ashes, and controlled landfill

The final management of waste became a growing concern of
governments in recent years. The increase in the degree of deve-
lopment of civilization and technology has increased the quantities,
properties, and harmfulness of the waste generated (Endo et al.,
1997).
Social pressure to preserve the natural environment, combined
with growing economic pressure, renewed interest in the use of
products that employ waste as raw materials, also called secondary
raw materials or by-products (Andreola et al., 2005).
Olive cultivation generates olive mill wastewater at a volume of 1–
1.2 t/t of transformed olive. The Mediterranean countries produce
over 30 million m3/year (Casa et al., 2003). In Spain, the annual
volume reaches 2.1 million m3 (Paredes et al., 2005). Fortunately, this
amount is currently being reduced, as the oil is being extracted in a
higher proportion by means of a two-phase system (Roig et al., 2006).
The sewage sludges generated are more than 1.5 million t/a as dry
matter in Spain (Resolución de 14 de Junio de la Secretaría General de
Medio Ambiente, 2001) and 10 Mt/a in the EU. Sewage undergoes a
stabilization process through biological or physical–chemical treat-
ment and a final stage of dehydration (drying), with several
possibilities for its final destination: composting, incineration to
⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 953648564; fax: +34 953648623.
E-mail address: deliche@ujaen.es (D. Eliche-Quesada).
deposit.
The rate of generation of other organic waste such as coffee-
grounds was estimated at an average rate of 3 t of waste per million
Euros of product sales (Instituto para la sostenibilidad de los recursos,
2007). Coffee grounds represent a residue widely generated by the
service sector. At present, they are neither recycled nor used as
fertilizer in agriculture or for compost production.
The brewing industry generates a great volume of bagasse (60
units of bagasse for every 100 units of malt processed) (Hough, 1990)
at a rate of about half a million tonnes per year (Instituto Tecnológico
Agroalimentario, 1999).
One alternative for the final destination of this waste is the
construction sector, where the great need for raw materials (Menezes
et al., 2002) can absorb much of the waste. Several studies found that
polymers, cement and ceramics are the materials best suited for
achieving the inertization and neutralization of the waste by
encapsulating it in the matrix (Couto et al., 2001; Pereira et al.,
2000; Pérez et al., 1996; Ribeiro et al., 2002). In addition to the
benefits to the ceramic industry, collateral benefit can be derived from
the energy properties associated with the content of organic matter in
the wastes.
Due to environmental regulations, the demand for bricks with high
insulation capacity is increasing, since decreasing the thermal
conductivity is a decisive factor in limiting energy consumption.
One way to increase the insulation capacity of the bricks is to generate
porosity (Schmidt-Reinholz, 1990). One of the most conventional
ways to reduce thermal conductivity in ceramic materials is to modify

0169-1317/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.clay.2011.03.003
 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276
their microstructure by incorporating lightening, pore-forming,
organic additives into the clay matrix. The uses of organic residues
in brick production to obtain porous ceramic bodies with better
insulating properties were studied by several authors (Demir, 2006,
2008; Duckman and Kopar, 2001; García-Ten et al., 2005; Sutcu and
Akkurt, 2009). Duckman and Kopar (2001) used brick clay with up to
30 vol.% sawdust and/or papermaking sludge as pore-forming agents.
A highly porous ceramic structure was obtained after firing at 920 °C.
García-Ten et al. (2005) studied the feasibility of reducing the thermal
conductivity of ceramic materials by incorporating lightening addi-
tives such as olive oil waste, paper industry waste, sewage, and coke.
The resulting samples had a conductivity of 0.43 W/mK but showed a
decrease in mechanical properties, which may require a change in the
production process or the composition. Demir (2006, 2008) investi-
gated the potential of using organic residues such as sawdust and
tobacco residues (0–10 mass %) and tea (0, 2.5 and 5 mass %) in clay
bricks. Incorporating up to 5 mass % residue produced a suitable
decrease in real density, increasing the open porosity of the clay but
decreasing the compression strength of the samples when the amount
of residue was increased. Sutcu and Akkurt (2009) used recycled
paper processing residues (up to 30 mass %). The use of this residue
decreased the fired density of the bricks to 1.28 g/cm3 and the thermal
conductivity by more than 50% compared to bricks without residue
while maintaining adequate mechanical strength.
The prospective benefits of using sludge as the brick or tile additive
in the fired matrix have been studied by several authors (Jordán et al.,
2005; Merino et al., 2007, Monteiro et al., 2008; Montero et al., 2009;
Weng et al., 2003). All of these authors concluded that the incor-
poration of sludge decreased the mechanical strength and that the
correct content of sludge to be added to the body clay should there-
fore be chosen to meet the standards applied to specific construction
materials.
This study compares the technological properties of construction
materials manufactured by adding different residues such as urban
wastewater sludge (SUW), brewing industry sludge (SBI), bagasse
(B), coffee grounds (C), and olive mill wastewater (OMW) to the body
clay. These residues act as lightening additives and thus as organic
pore-forming residues by modifying the clay microstructure to
improve the thermal conductivity.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Preparation of the samples
The clay was supplied by the local plant of the company “Arcillas
Bailen S.L.”, in Bailen, Jaen (Spain) and was obtained by mixing three
types of raw clay in equal parts: red, white, and black clay. The sludge
(SUW) came from a waste water treatment plant located in the city of
Linares (Jaen). The bagasse and sludge (SIB) wastes were produced by
the beer plant and the waste water treatment plant of the Heineken
Brewery in the city of Jaen. The coffee ground waste was supplied by
the local coffee shop. These wastes were dried for 24 h at 90 °C to
remove moisture. To obtain uniform particle size, all wastes and the
clay were crushed and ground to yield a powder with a particle size
suitable to pass through a 150 μm sieve. Particle size control is impor-
tant because it influences the physical and mechanical properties of
the final products. The olive mill wastewater (OMW) was collected
from the water deposit in a local olive oil extraction plant.
Different amounts of waste were added to the raw clay body to
study their effect on pore formation. A previous study optimized the
amount of residue incorporated into the clay body as 15 mass % sludge
SUW, 5 mass % sludge SBI, 2.5 mass % bagasse, 3 mass % coffee grounds,
and 6.5 mass % OMW. To obtain comparative results, a series of ten
samples was prepared for the tests. The mixtures were homogenized
in a blender and moulded under 54.5 MPa of pressure using a uniaxial
laboratory-type pressing Mega KCK-30 A. The necessary amount of
271
water (8 mass %) for mixing was added to all of the mixtures except
OMW to obtain adequate plasticity and absence of defects in the
compression stage. Waste-free mixtures were also made as a refer-
ence. Solid bricks with 30 × 10 mm cross sections and a length of
60 mm were produced. The shaped samples were dried for 48 h at
110 °C to reduce the moisture content. The dried samples were then
fired in a laboratory-type electrically heated furnace at a rate of 10 °C/
min to 950 °C for 6 h. The shaped samples were designated as C for
the bricks without waste and C-xW for the mixtures, where x denotes
the content (%) in the matrix clay and W the waste incorporated (W:
SUW (urban wastewater sludge), W: SBI (brewing industry sludge),
W: B (bagasse); W: C (coffee grounds), and W: OMW (olive mill
wastewater)).
2.2. Characterization of brick raw materials
Qualitative determination of major crystalline phases in the clay
and wastes was achieved using the Philips X'Pert Pro automated
diffractometer equipped with a Ge (111) primary monochromator.
The chemical composition was determined by X-ray fluorescence
(XRF) using the Philips Magix Pro (PW-2440).
The thermal behaviour was determined by thermogravimetric and
differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) with a Mettler Toledo 851e
device in oxygen.
The total content of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulphur was
determined by combustion in an O2 atmosphere in the samples using
the CHNS-O Thermo Finnigan Elementary Analyzer Flash EA 1112.
The carbonate content of the clay was determined by calcimetry.
2.3. Characterization of the bricks
A series of tests and inspections was performed to determine
the mass loss on ignition, linear shrinkage, bulk density, water
absorption, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of the
bricks.
The mass loss on ignition was determined as the mass loss
between drying at 110 °C and firing at 950 °C. The linear shrinkage
was derived from the length of the samples before and after firing
using a calliper with a precision of ±0.01 mm. The bulk density was
calculated as the ratio of the dry mass of the brick to its standardized
volume.
Water absorption capacity was determined according to standard
procedure UNE 67-027. The samples were dried at 110 °C for 24 h and
weighed repeatedly until the mass difference was b1%. The samples
were cooled for 24 h and completely immersed into water. After 24 h
in water, the samples were dried with a damp cloth and weighed
again. The samples were weighed every 24 h until the mass difference
was b0.1%.
To determine the thermal conductivity, a model house of PHYWE
high insulation with removable walls and insulated ceiling was used.
The material to be tested was placed on one wall. Since steady-state
heat flow is constant and the coefficient of heat transfer by convection
in the case of closed rooms in the literature is 8.1 W/m2 K, one can
calculate the thermal conductivity of the tested material.
The compressive strength was measured for fired samples
according to standard procedure UNE 67-026 in a Suzpecar CME
200 SDC laboratory testing machine. All shaped samples were tested
by applying the load centred in the upper face of the brick with a
speed b20 MPa/s until fracture.
The microstructure of the pieces formed was observed by means of
a scanning electron microscope (SEM), using the high-resolution
transmission electron microscope JEOL SM 840. The samples were
placed on an aluminium grate and coated with gold using the ion
sputtering device JEOL JFC 1100.
272 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276

Table 1
Chemical composition of the clay and waste ashes.

Oxide content (mass %) Clay Sludge SUW ash Sludge SBI ash Bagasse ash Coffee ground ash OMW ash

SiO2 55.82 46.37 53.32 54.53 1.09 37.25

Al2O3 12.13 20.33 4.31 0.36 0.79 6.15
Fe2O3 4.83 8.55 2.42 1.19 1.26 3.14
MnO 0.03 0.28 0.04 0.16 0.38 0.10
MgO 1.49 2.19 1.0 5.66 22.93 3.19
CaO 9.21 11.15 26.45 7.75 13.73 30.24
Na2O 0.49 0.36 1.43 0.29 8.42 1.44
K2O 2.78 3.25 0.72 3.55 23.87 12.37
TiO2 0.83 0.85 0.33 0.06 0.14 0.42
P2O5 0.12 5.89 8.59 26.19 23.66 3.45
SO3 – – – – 3.30 2.01
CuO – – – 0.09 0.28 0.05
SrO – – – 0.07 0.06 0.10
NiO – – – – 0.03 0.04
Rb2O – – – – 0.02 0.01
ZnO – – – 0.10 0.01 0.01
Zr (ppm) 279.3 161.7 103.9 – – –
LOI 14.20 0.05 0.18 – – –

3. Results and discussion
3.1. Analysis of materials
The data of chemical composition and the loss on ignition (LOI) of
the waste ash and raw clay are presented in Table 1. In all cases except
coffee ash, SiO2 was the predominant oxide, followed by Al2O3 (clay
and SUW) or alkali and alkaline earth oxides in the other waste ashes.
The XRD pattern of firing clay (Fig. 1a) indicated quartz (SiO2) as the
main component, with smaller proportions of various silicates such as
microcline (KAlSi)O7, albite (NaAlSi3O8), gehlenite, and muscovite
(KAl2Si3AlO10(OH)2). The clay also contained calcite (CaCO3) and
hematite (Fe2O3). The SUW (Fig. 1b) contained quartz (SiO2), calcite,
mica and dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) as the main mineral phases. The

Fig. 1. XRD patterns for powdered (a) fired clay; (b) urban wastewater sludge; (c) brewing industry sludge; (d) bagasse ash; (e) coffee ground ash; and (f) olive mill wastewater ash.
 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276 273

Fig. 2. TGA–DTA of (a) clay; (b) urban wastewater sludge; (c) brewing industry sludge; (d) bagasse; (e) coffee grounds; and (f) olive mill wastewater.

crystalline components of the SBI sludge (Fig. 1c) were calcite, oxides were smaller in the SBI than in the SUW ash. In the SBI ash,
calcium sulphate hemihydrate (CaSO4 0.5 H2O) (bassanite), alpha calcium oxide and phosphorus pentoxide were enriched. The high
quartz (SiO2) and aluminium sulphate hydrate (Al2(SO4)314H2O) content of iron oxide in the SUW ashes may be responsible for the
(metaalunogen). The aluminium sulphate may have been introduced colouring of the end products. The chemical composition of the other
by the flocculant in the water treatment plant. The chemical waste ashes was very different. The bagasse ash contained mainly
composition of the SBI ashes indicated that they were composed silica as cristobalite and phosphorus pentoxide with very high
mainly of silica, calcium oxide, phosphorus pentoxide, and alumina. proportions of calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, and potassium
The amounts of alumina, iron oxide, potassium, and magnesium oxide. The XRD pattern of the bagasse ash (Fig. 1d) indicated
cristobalite, followed by magnesium and calcium pyrophosphate
(CaMgP2O7). Very small amount of quartz and diopside (CaMg
Table 2 (SiO3)2) were present. The major component of the coffee ash
Elemental analysis of the C, H, N and S content in raw materials and higher heating
values estimated by BOIE equation.
(Fig. 1e) was magnesium oxide, with smaller proportions of dicalcium
silicate (Ca2(SiO4)), potassium magnesium silicate (K2MgSiO4), halite
Sample %C %H %N %S Estimated (NaCl), pyrophyllite (Al2Si4O10(OH)2), and Fe (II) containing dolomite
HHV (kcal/kg)
(Ca, Mg, Fe)(CO3)2 with traces of bayerite (Al(OH)3). The chemical
Clay 2.14 ± 0.13 0.34 ± 0.01 0.03 ± 0.01 0.0 – composition of the coffee ash revealed the presence of potassium,
Sludge 23.79 ± 0.12 2.48 ± 0.03 4.6 ± 0.03 0.38 ± 0.04 2713
silicon, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and sodium. The OMW ash
SUW
Sludge SBI 13.60 ± 0.19 1.99 ± 0.02 1.83 ± 0.05 0.0 2949 (Fig. 1f) contained primarily wollastonite (CaSiO3), and lower
Bagasse 48.11 ± 0.51 7.57 ± 0.06 4.80 ± 0.12 0.0 6942 proportions of silicates in the form of leucite (KAlSi2O6) and
Coffee 49.80 ± 0.35 6.65 ± 0.05 3.02 ± 0.18 0.0 6881 akermanite (Ca2Mg(Si2O7)) and of chlorides such as nantokite
grounds (CuCl). The XRF analysis indicated that the OMW ash was composed
OMW 46.00 ± 0.45 6.51 ± 0.21 1.68 ± 0.10 0.0 6533
of high amounts of silica, calcium, and potassium. The high content
274 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276

Table 3
Technological characteristics of construction bricks made from waste.

Sample series Clay content (mass %) Waste content (mass %) Loss on ignition (%) Linear shrinkage (%) Bulk density (g/cm3)

C 100 – 10.3 ± 0.1 −0.46 ± 0.02 1.34 ± 0.04

C-15SUW 85 15 11.0 ± 0.2 −1.31 ± 0.07 1.11 ± 0.03
C-5SBI 95 5 11.2 ± 0.1 −0.45 ± 0.05 1.25 ± 0.02
C-3C 97 3 11.6 ± 0.1 −1.06 ± 0.1 1.27 ± 0.03
C-2.5B 97.5 2.5 11.7 ± 0.1 −0.75 ± 0.02 1.19 ± 0.04
C-6.5OMW 93.5 6.5 11.6 ± 0.2 −1.06 ± 0.09 1.11 ± 0.03

of fluxing oxides (K2O + Na2O) and auxiliary fluxing oxides (CaO +
MgO + Fe2O3) in the waste, especially in the coffee waste, contributed
to the low temperature firing process during the formation of the brick.
The TGA–DTA curves of the clay and waste up to 900 °C are shown
in Fig. 2. The clay showed an endothermic peak at 60 °C with a mass
loss of 1.4%. The mass loss of 0.8% between 250 °C and 500 °C can be
attributed to the combustion of organic matter, which creates an
exothermic effect. Silicate dehydroxylation was observed between
450 and 630 °C. The DTA curve showed a slight endothermic peak
centred at 565 °C. Between 600 °C and 820 °C, the decomposition of
calcium carbonate with the release of CO2 was indicated by the
endothermic effect centred at 780 °C with a mass loss of 9.5%.
SUW and SBI sludge showed the release of physically absorbed
water, up to 200 °C with an endothermic peak at approximately
100 °C (Fig. 2b and c). The decomposition of organic matter occurred
between 200 and 550 °C. The first exothermic peak, which occurred
between 200 and 400 °C, is associated with biodegradable materials,
undigested organics, and dead bacteria, as well as the emission of
semivolatile compounds (Calvo et al., 2004; Font et al., 2001). The
second exothermic peak, between 400 and 550 °C, is associated with
the oxidation of other materials. Finally, the endothermic peak at
700–800 °C may be due to the decomposition of the calcium
carbonate (calcite) with the release of CO2.
The TGA–DTA curves of the organic wastes (bagasse, coffee
grounds, and OMW) (Fig. 2d, e, and f) are typical of a solid fuel. The
wastes added to the clay were burned completely between 200 and
700 °C. The total mass loss was at least 94 mass %, which indicated that
only a small amount of ash was produced by combustion.
The results of the elemental analysis of the C, H, N, and S content in
both clay and wastes are shown in Table 2.
The organic matter content of the clay was low, whereas large
amounts of carbon and hydrogen were determined in the organic
wastes (bagasse, coffee grounds, and OMW). The higher heating value
(HHV) was evaluated from the elemental composition using the
following equation proposed by BOIE:
HHV = 84½C  + 227; 65 ½H  + 26; 5 ½O + 25½S + 15 ½N Kcal = kg ð2Þ
The error in the equation may not exceed 1.5% (Canseco-Medel,
1978) (Table 2). C and H stand for the content (%) of carbon and
hydrogen in the dry waste, and [O] = 100 − [C] − [H] − [ash]. This
equation was used to determine whether or not the HHV of the waste
contributed significantly to the heat requirements during the
manufacturing process. The HHV of the organic wastes was similar
to that of coke fuel. As the waste did not contain sulphur, it is suitable
similar to that in the bagasse and in the SUW and SBI. As the thermal
analysis indicated, bagasse, coffee grounds, and OMW were burned
almost completely without leaving a residue, while SUW and SBI
yielded larger amounts of ash.
The linear shrinkage of the bricks is a significant parameter, since
large contractions may lead to tensions and even to broken pieces
(Mekki et al., 2008). The addition of the wastes changed the linear
shrinkage between −0.75% (C-6.5OMW) and − 1.81% (bagasse).
Therefore, both the clay samples and the clay–waste samples
expanded slightly when fired at 950 °C, as is typical of porous bodies.
Water absorption is a key factor affecting the durability of bricks
and is an indirect measure of open porosity. The lower the water
absorption, the greater the life of the ceramic piece and its resistance
to external weather conditions. The incorporation of waste in the clay
body increased the water absorption (Fig. 3) by 2% for coffee grounds,
4% for OMW and N 40% for bagasse and sludge. Thus, the addition of
bagasse and sludge (SUW and SBI) significantly increased the open
porosity. The open porosity increased in the following order: C b C-
3 C b C-6.5OMW b C-15SUW b C-5SBI b C-2.5B.
Open and closed pores usually form during sintering. Bricks made
with clay have a bulk density of 1.34 g/cm3 after firing. The addition of
waste decreased the bulk density: OMW = SUW N B N SBI N C (Table 3).
As no relationship was observed between bulk density and water
absorption, the type of residue incorporated in the body clay
determined the type of porosity (open or closed).
The morphological study of the clay and samples containing
residues was obtained by means of SEM. Clay porosity (Fig. 4a)
changed due to the presence of wastes. While the incorporation of
SUW, SBI, and bagasse increased the open porosity as a result of
macropore connection (Fig. 4b, c, and d), the water absorption data
showed that the incorporation of coffee grounds and OMW increased
the closed porosity and micropores (Fig. 4e and f).
In all cases, incorporating the wastes reduced the thermal
conductivity (Fig. 5) to below the reference value of 0.43 W/m K
established by the UNE-EN 1745 standard. The greater porosity
increased the resistance to heat transfer by convection (Sutcu and
Akkurt, 2009).
Lower values of thermal conductivity were obtained for samples C-
3C and C-6.5OMW, which contained a higher degree of closed
C 15.9
C-2.5B 26.5

for use in brick manufacturing to fulfil the heating requirements. The

C-5SBI 21.7
sludges had lower HHVs due to their lower organic matter content.
C-15SUW 21.5
3.2. Characterization of the bricks
C-6.5OMW 16.5
The mass loss after sintering the clay at 950 °C reached 14.2% and
C-3C 16.3
may be attributed to the elimination of the organic matter by
combustion, the elimination of the water due to dehydroxylation, and 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
the decomposition of the carbonates. Water absorption (% )
The addition of different wastes increased the mass loss after
sintering (Table 3). The mass loss in the coffee grounds and OMW was Fig. 3. Water absorption of clay bricks and clay–waste bricks.
 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276 275

Fig. 4. SEM micrographs of (a) clay; (b) C-15SUW; (c) C-5SBI; (d) C-2.5B; (e) C-3C; and (f) C-6.5OMW.

porosity and number of micropores, as indicated by the SEM study,
increasing the thermal insulation properties by 19% in the bricks. In
contrast, the C-2.5B, C-15SUW, and C-5SBI samples showed lower
thermal insulation due to the higher proportion of open porosity, as
indicated by the water absorption data and SEM micrographs.
The compressive strength of ceramic materials is the most
important engineering-quality index for building materials. According
to the UNE-67.046-88 standard, the compressive strength of bricks
must be 10 MPa.
Waste addition decreased the compressive strength of the clay
(61.2 MPa) by 20% (bagasse) and N10% (SBW and SBI) (Fig. 6). The
open pores and other microscopic imperfections acted as stress
concentrator notches and reduced the compressive strength. The
other organic wastes either slightly increased (coffee grounds) or
slightly decreased (OMW) the compressive strength because of the
reduced open porosity.
4. Conclusions
1. All wastes investigated can be used effectively for pore forming.
The bulk density of the sintered products decreased with the
addition of waste due to the increased number of pores created by
combustion of the organic waste matter, as indicated in the
chemical elemental analysis and the TGA–DTA curves. The waste
with higher heating values can contribute significantly to the heat
requirements during the fabrication process.
276 D. Eliche-Quesada et al. / Applied Clay Science 52 (2011) 270–276

References
C 0.176
Andreola, F., Barbieri, L., Lancellotti, I., Pozzi, P., 2005. Recycling industrial waste in brick
C-2.5B 0.162 manufacture. Part 1. Mater. Constr. 55 (280), 5–16.
Calvo, L.F., Otero, M., Jenkins, B.M., García, A.I., Morás, A., 2004. Heating process
C-15SUW characteristics and kinetics of sewage sludge in different atmospheres. Thermo-
0.158
chim. Acta 409 (2), 127–135.
Canseco-Medel, A., 1978. Tecnología de Combustibles. Ed. Fundación Gómez-Pardo 2v,
C-5SBI 0.150 Madrid.
Casa, R., D'Annibale, A., Pieruccetti, F., Stazi, S.R., Giovannozzi, S.G., Lo Cascio, B., 2003.
C-6.5OMW 0.143 Reduction of the phenolic components in olive-mill wastewater by an enzymatic
treatment and its impact on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) germinability.
C-3C 0.142 Chemosphere 50, 959–966.
Couto, D.A., Silva, R.F., Guise, L., Castro, F., 2001. Attempts of incorporation of metal
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 plating sludges in ceramic products. Ind. Ceram. 21 (3), 163–168.
Demir, I., 2006. An investigation on the production of construction brick with processed
Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) waste tea. Build. Environ. 41, 1274–1278.
Demir, I., 2008. Effect of organic residues addition on the technological properties of
Fig. 5. Thermal conductivity of clay bricks and clay–waste bricks. clay bricks. Waste Manage. 28, 622–627.
Duckman, V., Kopar, T., 2001. Sawdust and paper-making sludge as pore-forming
agents for lightweight clay bricks source. Ind. Ceram. 21 (2), 81–86.
Endo, H., Nagayoshi, Y., Suzuki, K., 1997. Production of glass ceramics from sewage
C 61.2
sludge. Water Sci. Technol. 36, 235–241.
Font, R., Fullana, A., Conesa, J.A., Llavador, F., 2001. Analysis of pyrolysis and combustion
C-3C 66.5 of different sewage sludges by TG. J. Anal. App. Pyrolysis 58–59, 927–941.
García-Ten, J., Silva, G., Cantabella, V., Lorente, M., 2005. Utilización de materiales
C-6.5OMW 59.0
aligerantes en la fabricación de bloques de termoarcilla. Influencia sobre la
conductividad térmica y el comportamiento en el proceso. Conarquitectura 324,
89–96.
C-15SUW 55.5 Hough, J.S., 1990. Biotecnología de la cerveza y de la malta. Ed. Acribia, Zaragoza.
Instituto para la sostenibilidad de los recursos, 2007. Cultura del aprovechamiento de la
C-5SBI 52.05 fracción resto; tratamiento mecánico biológico, tratamientos biológicos mecánicos,
fracciones aprovechables (CSR). http://www.isrcer.org/newweb/upload/publicaciones/
docproyesp20070311183330.pdf.
C-2.5B 49.6
Instituto Tecnológico Agroalimentario, AINIA, 1999. La industria cervecera. http://
www.prtr-es.es/data/images/la%20industria%20cervecera-74f8271308c1b002.pdf.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Jordán, M.M., Almendro-Candel, M.B., Romero, M., Rincón, J.M., 2005. Application of
Compressive strength (MPa) sewage sludge in the manufacturing of ceramic tile bodies. Appl. Clay Sci. 30,
219–224.
Mekki, H., Anderson, M., Benzina, M., Ammar, E., 2008. Valorization of olive mill
Fig. 6. Compressive strength of clay bricks and clay–waste bricks. wastewater by its incorporation in building bricks. J. Hazard. Mater. 158, 308–315.
Menezes, R.R., Neves, G.A., Ferreira, H.C., 2002. O estado da arte sobre o uso de residuos como
matérias-primas cerâmicas alternativas. Rev. Bras. Eng. Agrí. Ambien. 6, 303–313.
2. The type of porosity (open or closed) was determined by the Merino, I., Arévalo, L.F., Romero, F., 2007. Preparation and characterization of ceramic
products by thermal treatment of sewage sludge ashes mixed with different
amount and type of waste and influenced the mechanical and additives. Waste Manage. 27, 1827–1844.
thermal properties of the bricks. Monteiro, S.N., Alexandre, J., Margem, J.I., Sánchez, R., Vieria, C.M.F., 2008. Incorporation
3. The incorporation of urban sewage sludge, brewing industry of sludge waste from water treatment plant into red ceramic. Constr. Build. Mater.
22, 1281–1287.
sludge, and bagasse in the body clay increased the number of Montero, M.A., Jordán, M.M., Hernández-Crespo, M.S., Sanfeliu, T., 2009. The use of
open pores, as indicated by the water absorption data and the SEM sewage sludge and marble residues in the manufacture of ceramic tile bodies. Appl.
micrographs, thus decreasing the compressive strength and Clay Sci. 46, 404–408.
Paredes, C., Cegarra, J., Bernal, M.P., Roig, A., 2005. Influence of olive mill wastewater in
slightly increasing the thermal insulation properties of the bricks. composting and impact of the compost on a Swiss chard crop and soil properties.
4. The incorporation of coffee grounds and olive mill wastewater in Environ. Int. 32, 305–312.
the body clay slightly increased the open porosity and the Pereira, D.A., de Aguiar, B., Castro, F.P., Almeida, M.F., Labrincha, J.A., 2000. Mechanical
behaviour of Portland cement mortars with incorporation of Al-containing salt
proportion of closed porosity, as indicated by SEM studies, thus
slags. Cement Concr. Res. 30 (7), 1131–1138.
maintaining the compressive strength and improving the thermal Pérez, J.A., Terradas, R., Manent, M.R., Seijas, M., Martinez, S., 1996. Inertization of
insulation properties of the bricks by 19%. industrial wastes in ceramic materials. Ind. Ceram. 16, 7–10.
5. All waste bricks met the UNE standards RP3404 and RP3406-REV 7. Resolución de 14 de junio de, 2001. de la Secretaría General de Medio Ambiente, por la
que se dispone la publicación del Acuerdo de Consejo de Ministros, de 1 de junio de
2001. por el que se aprueba el Plan Nacional de Lodos de Depuradoras de Aguas
Residuales. 2001–2006. BOE 166, de 12-07-01.
Ribeiro, M.J., Tulyaganov, D.U., Ferreira, J.M., Labrincha, J.A., 2002. Recycling of Al-rich
Acknowledgements industrial sludge in refractory ceramic pressed bodies. Ceram. Int. 28 (3), 319–326.
Roig, A., Cayuela, M.L., Sánchez, M.M.A., 2006. An overview of olive mill wastes and
their valorisation methods. Waste Manage. 26, 960–969.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for this research Schmidt-Reinholz, Ch., 1990. Suggestions for the reduction of bulk density through
provided under Project UJA_07_17_05, RFC/PP2006/Id_684 (a Uni- additives. Tile Brick Int. 6 (3), 23–27.
versity of Jaen plan). The authors thank the Heineken Brewery of Jaen Sutcu, M., Akkurt, S., 2009. The use of recycled paper processing residues in making
porous brick with reduced thermal conductivity. Ceram. Int. 35, 2625–2631.
(Spain) for supplying the waste and the Technical Research Services of Weng, C.H., Lin, D.F., Chiang, P.C., 2003. Utilization of sludge as brick materials. Adv.
the UJA for help in determining some properties. Environ. Res. 7, 679–685.