Abstract

In recent years, scientific issues related to environmental preservation have acquired great importance and the major challenge to be met is the recycling of materials discarded, causing various damages to the environment by technological development through a disposal of waste. This paper offers a possibility of recovery of waste and byproducts of paper manufacturing (paper sludge) and their use as an addition for obtaining a new formulation of ceramic tiles. The raw materials, paper sludge and clay were mixed together in different proportions. The ceramic samples were characterized with respect to water absorption, the porosity, the linear shrinkage and rupture strength. A new formulation was carried using four mixtures (M1, M2, M3 and M4) where feldspar (FT) was substituted by waste sludge (SP). Substituting FT per paper wastes, the rate of FT is reduced by 50%, thereby improving the rheological properties and physic-mechanical ceramic tiles.  The influence of the paper sludge on physical-mechanical properties of final fired product has been studied. Paper waste has proven to be a good raw material and the corresponding formulations were shown to be viable and acceptable in the manufacture of ceramic tiles.

Key words: Recycling, sludge, waste materials, tile, ceramic formulation.