
doi: 10.5772/18221
Ceramics are used as construction materials since the earliest days of civilization, around 5,000 B.C. Manufactured fired earth bricks had firstly been used as protection walls against invaders and fierce animals. However, during the industrial revolution on century XIX, the steam machines allowed a marked development of the ceramic industry. The term “Ceramic” is originated from Keramikos” , which, in Greek, means fired raw material. The most important materials used in the composition of the red ceramic bodies are clayey soils. Chemically the clay mineral is composed basically by hydrous aluminum, iron and magnesium silicates, which can be dispersed in fine particles. Presence of impurities such as ferric oxides, quartz among others plays an important role on the characteristics of the final product. Despite its great technological advances, some industries in the developing countries have not invested in high technology in order to manufacture bricks with high durability and acceptable mechanical properties. Therefore, for the achievement of the better quality of the ceramic bricks and in accordance with the environmental appeal, some industrial by-products have been used in the raw material in ceramic industries. In the case presented herein, by-products from decorative stone industry have been used aiming to improve the durability of the ceramic bricks as well as their mechanical properties. In this particular perspective, the ceramic industry emerges as a great attractive to promote the use of industrial by-products. Moreover, the use of industrial by-products, as being granulated materials, does not affect the path normally followed during ceramic processing. As a secondary effect, but not less important, the insertion of industrial by-products can also help to save noble materials in the pit borrow, avoiding, thus, the increasing on the rate of exploration works.
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