Physio-chemical properties of Tamiya clay deposit for production of insulating refractory bricks using mixture of rice husk and waste paper as additive

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating impact of the processing parameters on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of insulating refractory bricks made from Tamiya clay with admixture of rice-husk/paper-waste. The molding was done with a compression hydraulic press. The molding of the bricks was done by incorporating the varied proportions of the additive of the mixture of rice-husk/paper-waste (10%, 15% 20wt %) into the clay matrix. The firing temperature varied from 850^oC, 950^oC, 1000^oC. The results were optimized using Taguchi design of experiment method and the effect of the processing parameters (clay, additive, firing temperature) was established using the response Table and means effects plots. The properties of the produced bricks investigated after firing at 850^oC, 950^oC and 1000^oC indicated that samples of mixture of rice husk and waste paper had percentage total apparent porosity increment ranging from 15.90%, - 26.1%. Similarly, samples of the bricks had cold crushing strength ranging from 2.04 MN/m² – 3.45 MN/m². The estimated refractoriness using Shuen’s formula revealed 1554.612°C as a range of refractoriness while the result of the refractoriness using Pyrometric Cone Equivalent (PCE) indicated that samples had refractoriness of 1200°C. On the other hand, thermal insulation improved from 1.759531Wmk to 0.51WmK. Taguchi-based optimization experiment identified Tamiya clay content and temperature as the most considerable factors affecting the cold crushing strength. However, mixture of rice husk and waste paper and temperature are significant parameters influencing thermal conductivity.