Influence of the diameter of ground date pits on the technological properties of clay bricks

• Main Authors: G. Djafri, N. Chelouah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Cerâmica
• Series: Cerâmica
• Subjects: caroços de tâmara; argila; poros; tijolo; propriedades físicas; propriedades mecânicas
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0366-69132018000400589&lng=en&tlng=en

Abstract The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diameter of ground date pits (GDP) on the technological properties of a clay brick. For this purpose, increasing amounts of GDP (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%) with different diameters were mixed with a clay to produce clay bricks by pressing, drying and then firing at 900 °C. The GDP diameter and content changed the water requirement for plasticity. The shrinkage, water absorption and apparent porosity of fired clay brick increased with the content and diameter of GDP. The compressive strength, apparent density and thermal conductivity of the samples decreased with the increase in diameter and content of GDP. With the help of SEM micrographs, it was observed that the combustion of added GDP in the mixture led to a reduction in the diameter of pores formed in the fired clay brick samples.