Use of Septic Tank Sludge as Raw Material in the Manufacture of Bricks

Abstract:

The present paper analyzes the feasibility of using septic tank sludge subsequently treated in an anaerobic pond as raw material in the ceramic industry. An experiment was conducted involving the manufacture of 500 bricks using 6.5% (dry weight) of sludge at a ceramic plant in the Northeast of Brazil. To reproduce the methodologies, the same conditions and methods used by the local ceramic industry were adopted. To evaluate the bricks produced and environmental risk, compressive strength, water absorption and lixiviation tests were carried out, obeying current Brazilian norms, according to international standards. Results show the technical feasibility of using sludge as raw material in the red ceramic industry, highlighting the firing temperature of the bricks as a determinant variable. Moisture content of the sludge-clay mixture emerges as limiting factor in the manufacturing process. The moisture value determined as acceptable in the study was 22%.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 712-715)
• Pages: 921-924
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.712-715.921
• Online since: June 2013
• Authors: Maria Del Pilar Durante Ingunza, Andressa Dantas Lima, Andre Luis Calado Araujo
• Keywords: Brick Manufacturing, Septic Tank Sludge, Sludge Reuse

References

[1] Alleman J.E., berman, N.A., 1984. "Constructive sludge management: biobrick". Environmental Engineering. 110 (2), 301-311.

DOI: 10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(1984)110:2(301)

[2] Anderson, M.; Skerratt, R. G.; Thomas, J.P.; Clay, S.D., 1996. "Case study involving using fluidized bed incinerator sludge ash as a partial clay substitute in brick manufacture". Water Science and Technology. 34 (3-4), 507-515.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.1996.0470

[3] Cusido, J.A., Devant, M., Celebrovsky, M., Riba, J., Arteaga, F., 1996. A new ceramic material for solar buildings. Ren. Energy 8 (1–4), 327–332.

DOI: 10.1016/0960-1481(96)88871-9

[4] Dominguez, E.A.; Ullmann, R., 1996. "Ecological bricks, made with clays and steel dust pollutants". Applied Clay Science. 11, 237-249.

DOI: 10.1016/s0169-1317(96)00020-8

[5] Jordan, M.M ;Almendro-Candel, M.B. ;Romero, M. ; Rincón, J.M. « Application of sewage sludge in the manufacturing of ceramic tile bodies ». Applied Clau Science, volume 30. Issues 3-4, Novemver 2005, 219-224alme et al, (2005)

DOI: 10.1016/j.clay.2005.05.001

[6] Lin, Deng-Fong; WENG, Chih-Huang, 2001. "Use of Sewage Sludge Ash as Brick Material". Journal of Environmental Engineering. 127 (10), October issue. 922-927.

DOI: 10.1061/(asce)0733-9372(2001)127:10(922)

[7] Okuno, N.; Takahashi, S., 1997. "Full scale application of manufacturing bricks from sewage". Water Science and Technology. 36 (11), 243-250.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.1997.0417

[8] Okuno, N. ; Yamada, A., 2000. Evaluation of full scale thermal solidification processes implemented in Tokyo lightweight aggregate, slag and brick. Water Science and Technology. 41 (8), 69-76.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.2000.0144

[9] Okuno, N. ; Ishikawa, Y. ; Shimizu, A., Yoshida, M., 2004. « Utilization of sludge in building material". Water, science and technology, 49 (10), 225-232.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.2004.0650

[10] Slim, J.A.; Wakefield, R.W., 1991. "The utilization of sewage sludge in the manufacture of clay bricks". Water AS. 17 (3), 197-202.

[11] Tay, Joo-Hwa, 1987. "Bricks Manufactured from Sludge". Journal of Environmental Engineering. 113 (2), 278-283.

[12] Tay, J.H. ; Show K.Y., 1997. « Resource recovery of sludge as a building and construction material- A future trend in sludge management ». Water Science and Technology, 36 (11), 259-266.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.1997.0419

[13] Weng, C.H.; Lin, D.F.; Chiang, P.C., 2003. "Utilization of sludge as brick materials". Advances in Environmental Research. 7, 679-685.

DOI: 10.1016/s1093-0191(02)00037-0

[14] Wiebusch, B.; Seyfried, C.F., 1997. "Utilization of sewage sludge ashes in the brick and tile industry". Water Science and Technology. 36 (11), 251-258.

DOI: 10.2166/wst.1997.0418