Low Porosity Building Ceramics Produced from Local Technogenic Raw Materials/Mazo poringumo statybine keramika is vietiniu ir technogeniniu zaliavu.

Kicaite, Asta

LOW POROSITY BUILDING CERAMICS PRODUCED FROM LOCAL TECHNOGENIC RAW MATERIALS

(R. Maciulaitis, R. Zurauskiene. Mazo poringumo statybine keramika is vietiniu ir technogeniniu zaliavu. Vilnius: Technika, 2007. 220 p. ISBN 978-9955-28-203-7)

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This publication deals with the problems associated with low-porosity building ceramics manufacture.

This book presents information on the use of local resources, selection of additives and production of building ceramics. Full attention is paid to technogenic raw materials.

The monograph consists of four main chapters. However, all these chapters investigate one issue of prime importance for the ceramic industry of Lithuania - production of low-porosity ceramic products.

The first chapter includes a review of building ceramics in Lithuania and properties of building ceramics products. The monograph emphasizes that, with the exception of a few experiments in the Taurage, Palemonas and Daugeliai factories, it has never been attempted to manufacture the low porosity ceramic products. Also, in this chapter the influence of additives are analyzed in detail. Non-plasticing, fluxating, or partly burned out additives can be used in the production of low-porosity ceramics. One of the main technological parameters is a properly selected burning regime. The duration of product exposition to the highest burning temperature has a strong impact on the quality of manufactured ceramic products, especially on the ceramic body, which is produced from hydroglimmere and carbonate low-melting clays.

The second chapter describes the main raw materials and methods used for research. It states that Ukmerge clay is suitable for manufacturing low porosity ceramics. This clay can be mixed with a fatter clay using a larger clay fraction. The composition of samples made from Ukmerge and Rokai clay pits correspond to low porosity in the ceramic body. Water saturation in such ceramic bodies is much lower than 5 %, and the compressive strength is about 27 MPa.

This chapter also deals with the planning method of extreme experiments, in which an optimal manufacturing composition of the formation mass can be achieved that is suitable for producing a low-porosity ceramic body.

The third chapter describes technogenic raw materials that can be used for producing a low-porosity ceramics. This chapter also discusses different waste groups used for producing building ceramics. The topical task of waste utilization is used to create manufacturing processes without waste. This chapter also emphasizes the fact that the moulding mass should contain an admix catalyst which must be thermally stabilized at high temperatures.

The fourth chapter discusses the low porosity of building ceramics from local raw material and technogenic materials.

Technogenic wastes are used as additives in the Ukmerge and Rokai clay moulding mass. The paper evaluates a 20 % catalyst influence on properties of ceramic bodies. These technogenic raw materials can be used for production of frost-resistant ceramic products. Besides, these products should be burned at a higher temperature than the products made of low-melting clays.

This monograph offers a new approach to the possibilities of the low -porosity ceramics production. The results of a new advanced research on low-porosity ceramics have been provided. These products can be used in aggressive environments, which are frequently polluted by exhaust gas or can contain an increased amounts of salt.

This monograph accents that it is possible to produce the low-porosity building ceramics in Lithuania by the use of local raw material with some additives.

This monograph is important not only from a theoretical, but also from a practical aspect. It provides an advanced and new approach to opportunities in production of building ceramics.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asta Kicaite, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University