Utilization of waste glazed tiles as a raw material/ additive

Abstract

To find alternative environmental friendly methods for disposing waste glazed tiles, a detailed scientific study was carried out on evaluating techno-economical feasibility of utilizing waste glazed tiles as a raw material/ additive. Economical feasibility of size reduction of waste glazed tiles and technical feasibility of utilizing ceramic tile dust as non-black mineral filler in rubber were studied in this regard. Pilot-scale hammer mill and pot mill were utilized for size reduction process. Particle size distribution was analyzed according to standard testing methodologies by use of standard sieve analyzer and particle size analyzer. Rubber compounding was done for three master batch designs by use of pilot scale internal mixture having 1 kg capacity and two roll mill. Curing characteristics of the test samples and physical properties including hardness, tensile strength, tear strength and abrasion were analyzed. Moreover, literature review and baseline survey were carried out to collect information on waste tile generation index, available waste tile management practices, required particle size ranges to use waste glazed tiles as a raw material/ additive etc. Results of the pilot studies revealed that use of ceramic floor tile waste as recycled aggregate in concrete production and application of this waste (ceramic tile dust) as non-black mineral filler in natural rubber is both technically and economically feasible in Sri Lanka. However, utilizing this waste as an alternative raw material in cement industry for clinkerization is not technically feasible for the currently available only cement kiln at Puttalam, Sri Lanka.